THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay District Social Service Administration Board (TBDSSAB) said by their count there are nine people still living in tents, with most having moved to emergency shelters to stay out of the cold.
“Our emergency shelter system has not hit capacity one day throughout the winter. In fact, I was just looking at the stats over this past weekend, we had between 30 and 50 beds available throughout the four emergency shelters in the community,” said Ken Ranta, chief executive officer of TBDSSAB.
He said TBDSSAB staff and community partners are routinely going to encampments to provide outreach services to provide alternative “indoor space, emergency shelters services, and things that they may require.”
Ranta also said the TBDSSAB and community partners offer transportation to emergency shelters.
“We will continue to connect with those individuals, but the majority of individuals are indoors, have warm night beds, provided food and clothing. We're happy that the situation is where it is. In the past number of years, we've been pushing shelter capacity to a limit. But we're in fairly good shape with the expansions we put in this fall,” said Ranta.
When asked why a person would stay in their tents rather than seek warm shelter, Ranta said that is difficult to explain.
“If they've not taken us up on the offer for indoor shelter at this point, it may be a matter that they're comfortable where they are, happy where they are, or it may have more to do with fear or reticence of being with other individuals or accessing a controlled system,” said Ranta.
“Everybody's unique circumstances are different.”
He said all the TBDSSAB can do is continue their outreach and offer food, clothing, and a warm blanket and check up on them.
Ranta stated that overnight shelters aren't the only avenue a homeless individual needs to stay out of the cold. Places like PACE, Grace Place, and Urban Abbey offer daytime programming.
PACE offers daytime services seven days a week now after an increase in the TBDSSAB operating budget emergency shelter program last fall.
“The emergency shelters do have food programs during the day, but when individuals are out, there are opportunities to access different supports and services,” said Ranta.
Urban Abbey offers warm meals Monday through Friday at 12:30 p.m. and Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
“For individuals who are homeless or without shelter for that night, the most important thing we can say is we offer them an opportunity to go to an emergency shelter,” said Ranta.
