Image: Huron County Courthouse
The county’s department of Social and Property Services is looking to change the way Huron County provides emergency shelter for those who are experiencing homelessness.
During the County Council’s September 20th meeting, a report was presented where staff is looking to provide emergency shelter for six months of the year, instead of the previous five months that was available from November 15th until April 15th.
The new model would be a motel model, which would allow up to 14 people with a temporary and private room to stay during their transition from homelessness.
Staff has also found that to change to a motel model and have staffing and support provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association would cost the county $861,383, with $426,000 already offset by provincial funding.
The challenges with the new model going forward is that for this year, it would only be available in Goderich, but would serve people throughout the county who are experiencing homelessness.
The program would also put those in need in touch with housing representatives, and help teach life skills to allow them to be more independent. They would also be able to access employment resources and mental health resources to transition away from the issues that led to them not having a home.
The new motel model would allow people the privacy, safety, and space needed to then shift focus to their needs by also providing visible support.
With the shelter model that was in place last year, those relying on the resource weren’t able to do much more than be sheltered from the cold weather and get a meal and sleep before leaving the shelter, and therefore were unable to access the mental health, housing, and employment services that were available to them.