Kitchener's low-barrier shelter to close Monday, leaving 100 residents facing uncertainty

Diego Pizarro · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 31

As of Monday, 1 of Waterloo region's fewer low-barrier shelters volition close, leaving its 100 residents facing an uncertain future.

The shelter, located astatine the erstwhile Schwaben Club connected 1668 King St. E. successful Kitchener, is tally by The Working Centre. Support workers said they are acrophobic that the closure volition enactment further accent connected an already strained structure system. 

"Most of the different shelters are full. They person saved beds for america but what happens to the radical inactive connected the street," said Jesse Belanger, a enactment idiosyncratic astatine the shelter. 

Belanger said helium believes the closure volition permission a ample void successful the region's structure system. Since the structure is low-barrier, it does not person the emblematic rules different shelters acceptable similar maintaining sobriety, not bringing in pets and not allowing couples. 

Belanger says that without the low-barrier structure galore stateless radical struggling with addiction whitethorn person to enactment retired connected the street. 

"We're near with our astir susceptible of the susceptible that conscionable person nary spot to spell and they volition enactment connected the streets," helium said. 

Regional response

The Region of Waterloo has been preparing for the closure for a while.

"We stopped caller intakes to the structure arsenic of March 1 truthful that we could enactment intentionally with each of the residents that are there," said Ryan Pettipiere, manager of lodging astatine the Region of Waterloo.

Pettipiere added that he is assured that the portion volition beryllium capable to find a abstraction for everyone astatine the shelter. 

However, Joe Mancini, manager of the Working Centre, warns that the portion is facing an already overwhelmed structure system. 

"They truly are responding by squeezing radical into the shelters that are inactive available," Mancini said. 

Mancini added that helium does admit the enactment the portion is doing to relocate people. 

"They've truly worked hard to guarantee that determination is simply a spot for arsenic galore radical arsenic possible," helium said. 

But adjacent if the portion is capable to find lodging for everyone, determination whitethorn beryllium circumstances wherever immoderate of the radical astatine the structure garbage the region's offer. 

This was the lawsuit with Randall Crook. He has been surviving astatine the structure with his woman since October of past year. The mates was offered a country astatine the Super 8 Motel successful Cambridge but Crook refused due to the fact that of a traumatic acquisition they had there.

Eventually, the portion was capable to find him and his woman different spot to stay.

"We won't beryllium homeless, we won't beryllium connected the streets. We're grateful to the structure and the region," helium said. 

Crook is inactive acrophobic astir different radical astatine the structure though. 

"I'm disquieted astir immoderate people, they mightiness beryllium near retired and I'm not definite what their plans are for them," helium said. 

While Crook and his woman were fixed different option, others person not been arsenic fortunate truthful far.

Glen Soikie, who lives astatine the shelter, was offered lodging person to Cambridge. Soikie says his household lives adjacent the structure and he wants to beryllium adjacent to them to support a narration with his kids. 

"It would've taken maine an hr and a fractional conscionable to sojourn my children 1 way," helium said. 

"With tiny children, I deliberation it's important for the begetter fig to beryllium connected the scene," helium said. 

Soikie volition apt person to find different structure oregon spell backmost to surviving connected the streets.

Adjusting to a caller shelter

Finding different structure whitethorn beryllium hard due to the fact that others are much strict, and it can besides beryllium hard for an unhoused idiosyncratic to set to a caller shelter, Belanger said.

He explained shelters tin supply a consciousness of assemblage for radical experiencing homelessness, and radical physique relationships with enactment workers and different radical who usage the shelter. But, Belanger added, going to a caller structure means starting each implicit again. 

"This abstraction has go location for a batch of people. They've built friendships here, we've built relationships with them," said Belanger.

"I'm conscionable watching people's intelligence wellness diminution and it's truly sad," helium continued. 

Going forward, the portion is prioritizing imperishable lodging erstwhile looking for accommodations for radical successful the shelter. People person besides been placed successful supportive housing, different exigency shelters and motels. 

People experiencing homelessness successful the portion tin scope retired to First Connect astatine 519-624-9133 to beryllium connected with exigency shelters and enactment workers.