Welland sets aside $35,000 for temporary 8-bed shelter

The City of Welland has unanimously approved a motion supporting the creation of a new temporary shelter for its homeless population.

Council will set aside $35,000 for the project and plans to have the shelter run through the months of February and March.

The motion was brought forth by Councillor Bonnie Fokkens and news of its approval broke Thursday morning.

The temporary shelter will add eight beds to the region.

In the wake of the motion’s approval, council has gone on to advise city staff to begin exploring plans for the temporary shelter.

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“We have placed a significant task on our staff to deliver this program,” said Mayor Frank Campion. “We have full faith that staff will research, partner, and update Council on the progress of the initiative.”

With February only two weeks away, city staff will have to work quickly to capitalize on the opportunity.

The site’s location, what kind of individualized service needs will be need to be offered and the amount of staff it will take to operate are all topics that will be explored in the coming days.

The city adds that its community is already facing a “scarcity of resources and workforce,” which could make adequately staffing the new site challenging.

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