City, shelters and community partners work together to help those experiencing homelessness

Downtown Mission in Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (Melanie Borrelli/CTV News Windsor)

Emergency shelter providers and community partners have been working together to meet the needs of Windsor’s homeless community while the shelter system has been strained due to COVID-19.

A news release from the city says the emergency shelter system, like many sectors, has been significantly impacted by the Omicron variant. The Downtown Mission, Salvation Army Centre of Hope, and Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families have all experienced outbreaks among staff and clients over the past few weeks.

The city says Mission staff have been particularly impacted by this wave, but quickly prioritized services to maintain capacity in their overnight shelter program.

“Crisis situations demand immediate action,” says Jelena Payne, the city’s commissioner of human and health services. “We applaud the Mission’s board of directors and their staff for making the difficult decision to temporarily alter their regular programming to preserve their capacity to shelter overnight guests, particularly during this period of frigid temperatures.”

St. Clair College has also lent a hand by providing the meals of the Downtown Mission guests to allow Mission staff to focus on overnight shelter operations until all staff return from isolation.

"This wasn't so much a case of one institution helping another institution," college president Patti France said. "It was very much people helping people, neighbours helping neighbours, in time of need. It is an example of the Saint spirit exemplified by all of the College's employees."

The Welcome Centre for Women and Families and the City of Windsor also continue to run an isolation and recovery centre for those experiencing homelessness.

The city has also offered additional support to all three shelters to help mitigate the risk of COVID. This includes additional cleaning service, PPE, security, among other supports.

A temporary warming centre at the downtown aquatic centre has been opened and the city continues to run the day program at the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub.

“The coldest nights of winter impact the capacity of emergency shelters annually. The falling temperatures, coupled with the effect of Omicron on our staffing levels, posed a significant risk to our ability to serve guests,” says Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, interim executive director of the Downtown Mission.

“The support of our board and partners, the city, and the generous donation from St. Clair College, have allowed our staff to focus on preserving the shelter bed program for those wanting a safe place in from the cold.”