New Summerside shelter planned but Housing Minister says more transitional housing needed
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The province is looking for an operator for a brand new, low-barrier 10-bed emergency shelter in Summerside.
Talking to reporters on Nov. 22, Housing Minister Rob Lantz confirmed the province has issued a young for an operator of a shelter within the Summerside space.
The tender states that the province is looking for an operator for a “low-barrier” shelter in Summerside however doesn’t specify the variety of beds.
Nonetheless, Lantz steered workers in his division discovered that the extra acute want in Summerside could also be for transitional housing for folks whose housing wants are much less extreme than these in want of emergency shelters.
“What we have realized is it is perhaps not numerous emergency shelters that is required but it surely’s extra supportive or transitional housing,” Lantz mentioned.
“We need to be sure that individuals are not utilizing emergency shelter that do not have to.”
Lantz mentioned the brand new shelter will probably be modular, pre-built models, much like the models that had been constructed final winter on Park Avenue in Charlottetown.
Lantz added that he hopes to see the brand new emergency shelter open “ASAP.”
Lantz has additionally mentioned publicly the province deliberate to open a brand new emergency shelter in Summerside by this winter.
He additionally instructed SaltWire earlier this month that 4 new models have been added to an present emergency shelter in Summerside, bringing the whole variety of beds in that shelter to 10.
Nonetheless, it appears unlikely a brand new shelter will open earlier than mid-December. The general public tender won’t expire earlier than Dec. 13.
“We need to be sure that individuals are not utilizing emergency shelter that do not have to.”
Housing Minister Rob Lantz
Extra particulars
Lantz confronted extra questions concerning the Summerside emergency housing plans from Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly throughout query interval on Nov. 23.
“What precisely is Summerside getting? Who’s operating it? And when is it coming?” McNeilly requested.
“We’ll discover out who’s going to run it after we get some responses to the expression of curiosity that is on the market now,” Lantz replied.
“We’ll have it up and operating as quickly as we presumably can.”
Lantz as soon as once more mentioned workers have discovered that many unhoused folks in Summerside want transitional helps versus emergency shelters.
“We’ll in all probability have greater than sufficient capability in emergency shelter after we get 10 extra beds up and operating,” Lantz mentioned.
“However what we actually need to do is keep away from folks going to emergency shelter after we needn’t.”
The expression of curiosity additionally appears to counsel the province is interested by housing alternate options to emergency shelters.
“Analysis exhibits if people don’t enter the emergency shelter system, profitable housing is extra more likely to be the result,” the tender doc says.
“The objective is to assist the person or household discover secure, different housing quite than enter an emergency shelter.”
The province’s Homelessness Particular person and Households Data System (HIFIS) system database states 53 people had been experiencing homelessness in Prince County as of Nov. 20, 2023.
Throughout P.E.I., 242 individuals are experiencing homelessness in line with the HIFIS rely.
