Summerside men's shelter could be up and running by December

A proposal for a 24-hour-a-day, low-barrier men's shelter in Summerside, P.E.I., goes before a public meeting next month.

The proposed shelter would be a partnership between the Department of Social Development and Housing and the Native Council of P.E.I. The shelter, which would run out of a house owned by the province at 287 Winter St., would be staffed by the Native Council and would initially house up to six people.

The move comes as P.E.I. is facing an unprecedented housing crisis skyrocketing rents and inflation have left many Islanders unable to find affordable housing. Tent encampments have sprung up in Charlottetown and Summerside, and the province recently announced the purchase of several small mobile housing units as a temporary solution to Charlottetown's homeless crisis.

Scott Carnall, the housing development officer with the Native Council of P.E.I., hopes the public will be receptive to the idea.

"People are homeless for many different reasons it's not always based on addictions," he said.

"Just the current economy ... available properties to rent, all that kind of stuff it's forcing people to be homeless, just the price in rentals is forcing people to be homeless, and so we're just making sure that we can provide those services, we can be making sure that we're doing it in a safe environment."

Carnall saidthe shelter's staff would be experienced in treating clients with mental health and addictions issues, but ultimately the shelter just aims to be part of the community.

"We just want to be making sure that those members that are stuck in homelessness have somewhere to go it's gonna be somewhere where they can find a bed for the night, somewhere where they can get some food, there will be a coffee and warming area for those that need it," he said.

Carnall said the shelter would also serve as an address for individuals trying to access services that require a home address, offer support for people looking for affordable housing, and also allow staff members the opportunity to check on the clients daily.

Shelley Cole, the manager of Housing Services with the province, said the province and the Native Council have been working on the proposal for several months.

"This shelter service will be open for any male-identifying client who is experiencing homelessness and in need of support," she said.

"So it would not be exclusive to Indigenous clients, but the service itself will offer culturally-specific programming, and components of that would include language revitalization, drumming, community events, and traditional harvesting."

The proposal goes before a public meeting at Summerside city council on Nov. 1. If given the green light, the plan is to have the shelter up and running by December.