Downtown Kitchener emergency women's shelter set to close this summer
CBC
A long-standing women's emergency shelter in downtown Kitchener is set to close its doors this summer.
The YW Kitchener-Waterloo shelter located at 84 Frederick St. has been operating in the community since the early 1970's.
Officials with the non-for-profit organization say they've outgrown the space.
"The needs of our clients have become increasingly complex as we look at so many of the root causes of women experiencing homelessness," YW K-W CEO Jennifer Breaton said. "The building is aging in infrastructure, it's overcrowded and it's not designed to meet the needs of the clients we support."
The shelter houses 66 beds for women in need. According to Breaton, there are 54 women who are living there at this time.
The shelter is expected to close by June 30, but Breaton says they're working to ensure the women currently staying at the shelter have a place to go.
"We need to have a date to work towards so we can help to support the women we serve with really intensive care management so that they have a safe space to land," Breaton explained.
"So we're going to be working very closely with our community partners and the women we serve to develop individualized care plans for each woman to ensure they're safely transitioned."
Breaton says the property is set to go up for sale in the coming weeks, but a plan for a new shelter is on the horizon.
"We think we're going to come forward with something called a 'scattered site model'," she explained. "Instead of one large 66-bed shelter, two or three smaller 30-bed shelters that are really designed around the needs of what clients in our community have said they want."
According to Breaton, collaborative efforts have been underway for this future project for roughly a year.
The goal is to have the new shelter also located in the downtown Kitchener area but organizers say they're exploring any and all options.
"We're always going to need access to emergency, low-barrier shelter but women also need space to transition out of that shelter as soon as possible. So we are actively exploring lots of different options in terms of location," she said.
The RCMP has not recruited enough new officers or effectively assigned its members to meet its operational needs, according to a new report from the auditor general — raising concerns about public safety across the country.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.
Premier Doug Ford says his government plans to give Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport special designation that would allow the province to bypass municipal and provincial laws as it pushes to expand the runway downtown.
Jenelle Hughes says she worries every time her two older children take their car to get to Fanshawe College in London, Ont., from their home in Dutton.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.
While spring technically started late last week, Newfoundland and Labrador isn't free from winter weather just yet.
The Sudbury School Bus Consortium is suspending all school buses in Greater Sudbury as the community continues to clean up following a major storm.
Two large corporate landlords owning a combined 9,008 rental units in Halifax are reporting smaller annual increases in their average rents for 2025 than the previous year.
The Holt government has reached a deal with Ottawa on compensation for tens of millions of dollars in lost sales tax revenue from the Christmas season in 2024.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.