With cold weather alert issued, head of overnight drop-in in Hamilton wonders where people will go

With Hamilton's declaration of a cold weather alert starting Tuesday night — and temperatures expected to drop to -16 C Friday morning — people experiencing homelessness risk frostbite and should spend as much time indoors as possible, says Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell.

It's a warning that leaves those who serve people living on the streets wondering where everyone is going to go during the cold overnight hours.

The city currently has only two overnight drop-in centres: Carole Anne's Place, for women and gender-diverse people, which is run by the YWCA; and the Hub, which accepts all genders, and has seen many more clients than usual in recent weeks, says Hub executive director Jennifer Bonner. 

In light of the temperature drop, which began Monday, the City of Toronto has announced expanded access to all-night warming centres until further notice.

Hamilton has not made any similar announcements, although it did issue a cold weather alert Tuesday, noting some recreation centres and Hamilton Public Library locations are available as warming centres during regular business hours.

"I really wish we had more [overnight drop-in centres]," Bonner told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday, saying visits to the downtown facility rose from around 60 per night in early January to nearly double that in the past week.

"We're seeing a ton of people coming from other cities [and] a lot more youth for sure."

Overnight warming centres tend to be used by people who can't access shelter beds for reasons including capacity issues, a client's drug use or wanting to stay with their partner, as there are no couples' shelters in Hamilton, said Bonner.

'Watch out for people who are homeless'

Kimbell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with the national weather agency, said Thursday night and Friday will likely be the colder than we have seen this year, and among the coldest days since the winter began. 

He said Thursday evening will start fairly mild, at about -3 C with some snow flurries, but will go down to -16 C in the early hours of Friday morning. He said the high that day will only be about -12 C, with a good deal of wind, so there won't be much respite for people stuck outdoors.

By Saturday, the temperature will rise to about -6 C, and by Sunday, Hamilton will see a forecasted high of 0, he said. 

"That's the good news," he said. "It won't last a long time."

Kimbell called the cold snap typical for late January, but noted it's been a warm year so people won't be used to the cold or perhaps won't be expecting it.

"Get inside and stay inside because it's going to be very cold," he said, noting it's important for people spending lots of time outdoors to take breaks inside to warm their bodies.

"Those people [should] put on extra layers if they can, but I think the onus is really on the population to watch out for people who are homeless."

'What are the plans?' asks Hub director

Bonner, from the Hub, said it has been a challenging and busy winter at the facility.

"It's a little overwhelming but we're OK," she said Tuesday. "We are just not set up to do this long term. It's OK as an emergency measure."

The facility has room for up to 25 clients at a time, which does not meet the need in the community, she said.

Warming centres used to open only when a cold weather alert was ongoing, but this year the city has contracted the Hub to open every night until the end of March.

"Now it's just an expectation from folks, so they show up at 10 o'clock looking to get in," Bonner said. "The need isn't going to go away."

She said that with the Hub ending overnight service at the end of March, around the same time the Wesley Day Centre is to cease operation, there will be a lack of drop-in services for unhoused people in Hamilton.

She added the only daytime drop-in at that point will be the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre's small centre on King Street West. The Hub will return to its regular hours, which are 5 to 9 p.m., she said.

"What are the plans? We're at the end of January and nobody has figured out what we're doing about a day centre yet," said Bonner.

'Shelters aren't necessarily meeting their needs'

Michelle Baird, the director of City of Hamilton Housing Services, says a report on the city's homelessness response will come to council in March, and will include recommendations related to shelters and drop-in centres, as well as more long-term ways to help people get into housing.

She notes drop-in centres and the women's shelter beds at Cathedral school are funded by COVID-19-related grants that will end at the end of March, so a new approach will be needed if they are to continue.

Baird also acknowledged complaints from some unhoused Hamiltonians and people working in the sector who say drop-in centres are so busy because shelters have rules that prevent people from accessing them. 

"Shelters aren't necessarily meeting their needs," she said, noting people with pets are among those who aren't able to access beds.

Baird said city staff are currently working with shelter operators to review their guidelines, and will consider ways to make the facilities more accessible in that review. She said that will take place over the next few months, and will be followed by consultation with clients and service providers.

She said many of the organizations who provide these services are facing challenges stemming from the level of need and a relative lack of funding and staff.

"If you have a workforce that is under-resourced… it's hard to think about [providing additional services or operating in new ways]," she said. "It's a question of, 'How do we support these agencies?'"