CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - Homeless Islanders in a vulnerable state are beating a path to a Charlottetown hotel.
As of Thursday, 21 people had been given a free hotel room since an emergency shelter pilot program started Dec. 21.
Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy says the program, run by the province and Family Violence Prevention Services, is meeting a critical need to provide immediate help to people in a desperate situation.
Some do not have social assistance.
Others are struggling with addictions and/or mental health issues.
In some cases, there is need for medication.
And not one of the 21 people placed in a hotel room through the program had filled out an application for assisted housing.
“We’re not going to turn people out on the street…we will support them until we can find a permanent solution,’’ says Mundy.
“Some people may move along very quickly. Others may take a bit more time.’’
“We’re not going to turn people out on the street…we will support them until we can find a permanent solution. Some people may move along very quickly. Others may take a bit more time.’’
-Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy
Mundy says the pilot program is being rolled out with the help of community partners like the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry and different police services.
Mundy says the province has a contract with a Charlottetown hotel for 40 units to accommodate homeless people, but the government is reaching out to other hotels across the province and receiving a good response.
“I’m really, really proud of our community…this is going to take everyone pushing in the same direction,’’ she says.
“We have a tremendous, tremendous business community that has stepped up.’’
Mundy is not certain how large the pilot program will become or how long it will run. She notes meetings are ongoing with community partners to devise longer-term solutions.
She says a task force will be activated in the new year to help address the shelter problem in the province and to look at what services can be put in place.
A temporary shelter support line (1-833-220-4722) is being manned 24/7.
Mundy does not know how much this pilot will cost.
“At the end of the day, we are not going to put people on the street,’’ she reiterates.
“We are going to spend the money that we have to…we have made a commitment to housing.’’
Tammy MacKinnon, manager of the soup kitchen in Charlottetown, raves about the pilot program, noting her clients are very excited about being put up in a hotel room when they have nowhere safe to spend the night.
“We just need to work out some of the kinks to get people in touch with it,’’ she says.
“What I really love about it versus a homeless shelter is you don’t have to leave first thing in the morning.’’
