Council extends funding for Ark Aid shelter

London city council has voted to spend $1.8 million to again extend funding for Ark Aid Mission to keep shelter beds and support servicesoperating, with Mayor Josh Morgan saying it can't become a permanent commitment.

The extension allows ArkAid to continue to provide 60 around-the-clock resting spaces in a shelter beside the Bishop Cronyn Memorial Church at the corner of William Street and Queens Avenue. It also includes funding for support services at 696 Dundas St., for 120 people during the day and 30 each night. Encampment supports and other outreach services are also covered by the funding.

The shelter at Queens and William was set up quickly last fall as part of the city's winterhomelessness response. Itsfunding was extended at a cost of $687,000 by a council vote in May. The cost of running the shelter beds year-round is estimated at $4.3million a year, an expense Mayor Josh Morgan said can't be covered by the city long-term.

Although he was among the 12 council members to support the extension, Morgan said he'll continue to lobby senior governments to step in and come up with a comprehensive strategy to help municipalitiesrespond to the homelessness crisis.

"We cannot in the long run or even the medium run continue to support this to the level that we are on the backs of the the propertytax base," Morgan said at Tuesday's council meeting."It is not sustainable."

Stevenson wants funding halted now

Coun. Susan Stevensonalong with Coun. Steven Hillier and Coun. Steve Lehman were the only councillors to vote against the funding extension for Ark Aid.

Stevenson said the concentration of services for the city's unhoused population in theEast London ward she representsis taking a toll on the Old East Village business district. Stevenson argued it's better to stop the funding now rather than leave council to face another extension decision in late November, ahead of Christmas and the arrival ofwinter's coldest weather.

"A 'yes' today doesn't fix the problem," said Stevenson. "A yes could put us in a difficult place comelate November. We gave this a good try, I think it's a mistake to go further. If we say 'no' now, it's done and we can say thank you for a job well done."

Stevenson called the Ark Aid request for city money an "unsolicited proposal with no funding source" although she, and others on council, also praised the organization for stepping in and providing a meaningful winter response under tight time constraints.

Coun. Sam Trosow said he was supporting the extension in part because there are few other options to address the current and pressing need.

"What would the street and the neighbourhood look like if Ark Aid is not able to keep their funding?" he asked. "In my opinion, it will be a lot worse. In my opinion, this stabilizes the area. Otherwise they would have no food and no place to rest."

Council will likely consider extending Ark Aid's funding into the new year when budget updates come up in late November.