The municipality's 24/7 homeless response line is making sure nobody freezes to death on the streets of Chatham-Kent this winter.
Director of Employment and Social Services Valerie Colasanti says nearing the end of last year, they had at least 140 phone calls.
"You can call the number and they will make sure that someone's put up in a hotel, so that they're not out in the cold and they're not freezing," says Colasanti. "And then in the morning, the supports are provided by our Shelter Solutions Program. They start working right away with them to find them permanent housing."
The Shelter Solutions Program helps people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, obtain and retain housing. Colasanti says, because Chatham-Kent's homeless population is so small and made up mostly of couch-surfers, the municipality is able to focus its dollars and efforts into providing affordable housing, rather than building a men's shelter.
She estimates it costs almost $2,000 a month to give someone a shelter bed, as opposed to $700 to help them remain housed.
"It's a homeless-assistance approach that prioritizes providing people with permanent housing as quickly as possible," says Colasanti. "So we want to find someone an apartment, give them first and last month's rent, give them the supports they need to stay in an apartment, rather than put them in a shelter."
The program has helped more than 80 people get a roof over their head in 2016 alone.
"It's really one call every 2.5 days, so to open a shelter with bricks and mortar, the cost involved to house someone maybe every third night is greater," Colasanti says, "As opposed to putting the money into finding someone a permanent solution."
If you or someone you know is in need, call (519) 354-6628.
