Kawartha Lakes offering winter shelter for people without anywhere else to go

The City of Kawartha Lakes has been awarded funding to provide shelter to people experiencing homelessness for the remainder of the winter.

This funding is provided from United Way Simcoe Muskoka and its Regional Advisory Board, as part of the Reaching Home – Rural and Remote COVID-19 Round 2 Funding.

Beds will be made available in partnership with A Place Called Home (APCH), a local emergency shelter and organization that provides homeless outreach and support programs.

Beds will be available nightly when temperatures hit -10 or below on a first-come-first-serve basis until March 31 and can be accessed by contacting APCH at 705-928-2543. Additional motel beds will be made available if APCH is full.

Some of these funds have also been allocated to provide food and laundry services, as well as transportation for people that access the winter response beds.

“These are the hardest months of the year for the homeless, this year more than ever with the added stress of COVID-19,” said Hope Lee, manager of Housing Services, Kawartha Lakes. “This funding couldn’t be more needed right now and we can’t thank United Way Simcoe Muskoka enough for making it available, as well as A Place Called Home for providing beds.”

Kawartha Lakes and APCH are taking all necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to operate within the guidelines of the province-wide shutdown. This program should also help alleviate the risk of COVID-19, as all beds are single occupancy.

Reaching Home aligns with Kawartha Lakes’ housing and homelessness programs, which are guided by the 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan that outlines priorities for services.

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