Relief is on the way for homeless individuals in St. Thomas and Elgin county. Earlier this week, MPP Jeff Yurek announced the city is in line to receive $928,000 in social services relief funding from the province.
The money will support the purchase of a new building for a permanent emergency shelter and provide operating funding for rent relief. City manager Wendell Graves says the city is looking at many options at this time.
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston notes, “So much good happens when we all work together. Shelter and housing in St. Thomas are so very important.”
Graves says the city has until next March to provide shelter details to the province. He adds they will be working closely with Inn Out of the Cold, the existing homeless shelter.
Lori Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Inn out of the Cold, adds the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgent need for expanded services for the homeless.
Yurek says the permanent shelter will be a facility where local service providers can carry out “their important, life-saving work.”
St. Thomas Police Chief Chris Herridge says, “This shelter will provide protection and safety to those who need it most.”
