Windsor's emergency shelter system nearing capacity — and it's not even winter yet

Described as a "bubble on the edge of bursting," Windsor's emergency shelters are approaching maximum capacity much earlier than expected this year.

Shelter capacity across the system is between 96 and 98 per cent, according to Windsor's housing and homelessness manager, Kelly Goz.

While shelters have dealt with overcrowding before, Goz said the early onset of the crisis in 2024 is alarming.

"That's very different than what we have seen historically for summer months," Goz said.

"Typically, we don't see this type of capacity until it gets cold, unless it's raining, or the climate isn't conducive for folks remaining outdoors."

The numbers were presented during a meeting of Windsor's Community Services Standing Committee, along with a report showing a rise in emergency shelter usage during the first eight months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

"[They] give me a really good snapshot of a bubble that, in my view, is right on the edge of bursting," said standing committee member and Windsor city councillor Fabio Costante.

Goz attributed much of the increase in shelter usage to the Strengthen the Core initiative, which improved communication with those in need and encouraged them to use area shelters.

The initiative also expanded service hours at the city's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4), resulting in more people moving from H4 to other emergency shelters, like the Downtown Mission, later in the evening.

"It's getting the word out, which is wonderful, [but] it is then creating an extra burden on the organizations that provide the services," said Downtown Mission executive director Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin.

"But we're working together to see how we can solve these issues."

One solution the city has implemented is the introduction of crash mats into Windsor's shelters.

At the Downtown Mission, which has 96 shelter beds and 10 crash mats, the dining room is used as overflow space overnight when regular shelter beds are full.

"Last summer, our shelter was probably, on average, about 70 per cent full," said Ponniah-Goulin. "This summer, I started asking why we are having crash mats in July and August. That's definitely new for us."

Kevin Lassaline, a guest of the Downtown Mission for the past year, said he "always sees new faces" coming through the shelter.

Kevin Lassaline. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

"It's too full. It gets worse in the wintertime, unfortunately, because there's more people here," said Lassaline, adding he worries about his fellow shelter guests who may not have access to a bed when winter comes.

"Where are the people going to sleep? I've seen people swollen hands from frostbite and stuff like that."

Goz said the city expects to receive stabilization funding from the federal government to replace temporary COVID-19 relief dollars that previously supported shelter services.

While there is hope for more funding from upper levels of government, city officials remain uncertain about when it will arrive or how much Windsor will receive.

"We're really at the mercy of upper levels of government to come to a consensus on how they want to deliver these programs and what allocations will be provided to municipalities," said Goz.