COUNTY OF WELLINGTON – County of Wellington social services will see some cost savings as it transitions to a supportive housing pilot program at Ignatius Jesuit Centre’s Loyola House.
Eddie Alton, social services administrator, said they are leasing 45 rooms to use in the Loyola House Supportive Temporary Accommodation Pilot (LHSTAP), a 12-month project that will see healthcare and other services incorporated into housing people facing homelessness.
Alton explained that some will be used for offices and it’s unclear exactly how many they’ll need but the idea is to move a majority of the 48 people who are sheltered at the Holiday Inn Express.
“We may be looking at other alternatives as well but at this time we’ll be moving the majority of them into the Ignatius Centre,” Alton said. “That would start Nov. 1.”
A report to the social services committee said they are working with the Drop In Centre to reimagine the use of their Dwelling Place and Stepping Stones site.
“We are exploring the opportunity to shift these two sites so they can be used to safely house as many as 10-15 individuals,” the report says, noting that it can be reverted back to a shelter if needed.
Alton said there will be some cost efficiencies found in this project.
GuelphToday previously reported that the hotel housing cost about $300,000 per month.
The county report estimates the anticipated expense of this project to be $95,000 each month for a total of just over $1.1 million a year.
The county is counting on the provincial and federal funding to help social services and the report says that these costs are entirely covered through this funding.
The service will still remain largely the same as the hotel housing besides shared washrooms.
“The same people that provide services and work being done at the Holiday Inn Express will be transferred to the new site,” Alton said.
“This is actually going to be similar to the hotel. They have their own rooms and there will be some common areas but it will be basically the same set-up.”
If clients need to access services in Guelph, Alton said they are working on a transportation strategy to be able to bring clients to and from Loyola House.
Staff from the Loyola House will also be available for services.
“They have offered to help so there will be an opportunity for some spiritual guidance for some of the tenants as well,” Alton said.
Alton said that they have seen a lot of success with this supportive model and have learned a lot of lessons on how to move forward.
He said they will continue to work with the funding to meet their objective of significantly reducing chronic homelessness.
“Nobody knows how long all this will go on for and at the same time we’re looking at a permanent solution,” Alton said.
“It’s much better for everybody involved if they have homes rather than a shelter system. We’re going to continue to work and look at any advantage of the funding that comes from the feds.”
