The Cooperative Care Centre (CCC) in Brockville, Ontario, a 24-bed shelter serving people experiencing homelessness for five years, has permanently closed. John Goldsmith, 63, who relied on the centre, described it as a “godsend” and expressed heartbreak over its closure. A last-minute effort to secure city funding to keep the facility open until the end […]

London’s new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hub, open for two months, provides integrated support for people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges. The site has 33 beds, all currently occupied, housing individuals including pregnant women, people recovering from serious medical issues, and youth no longer forced to couch surf. Carlos Buschinelli, who

Guelph is set to open a new daytime drop-in space for people experiencing homelessness on January 12, addressing a gap in daytime supports. The city is partnering with local shelters Stepping Stone and Royal City Mission to provide access to food, washrooms, and connections to health care and housing services. The initiative is funded through

Claudemier Bighetty, a Winnipeg outreach worker and self-described “sober influencer,” is using his personal story of addiction, homelessness and recovery to advocate for new approaches to addressing homelessness. Once living under bridges and in parkades while struggling with fentanyl addiction, Bighetty has been sober since October 2023, with his partner following months later. He now

People experiencing homelessness in Thunder Bay say discrimination, unsafe conditions and long wait-lists for housing continue to define daily life, as advocates call for stronger action from local government. Clinton Wanakamik, who has been unhoused for about a year, says stigma and judgment are among the hardest challenges he faces while waiting for housing and

Manitoba’s public housing waitlist has reached its highest level in five years, prompting concerns that the provincial government’s strong focus on clearing homeless encampments is leaving other low-income families behind. As of November, more than 7,500 people were waiting for Manitoba Housing, up from about 5,300 in mid-2023. Advocates note this increase comes despite longstanding

An overnight warming centre has reopened in downtown Prince Albert to protect people from dangerous winter temperatures. The Meeting Place, operated by the Prince Albert Salvation Army at 900 Central Ave., opened Monday and welcomed 25 people on its first night. For people like Darla Ballantyne, who suffered frostbite last winter while sleeping outside, the

A Winnipeg non-profit is set to open six new transitional housing units in the city’s West End, offering a unique modular housing model operated by a community organization. The prefab homes, built by a modular housing company in Altona, arrived last month and are expected to be ready for tenants by early January once final

Advocates in London, Ont., say people experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness need far more comprehensive and long-term psychiatric support. Sharon Bankes McArthur, whose 38-year-old son with schizophrenia has been living on the streets for nearly two years, says the greatest gap is the lack of ongoing, wrap-around psychiatric care. After early intervention support, her

Saskatoon city hall is expanding its response to homelessness by proposing the purchase of several west-side properties using federal funding. City council will consider buying six vacant lots in or near the Riversdale and Pleasant Hill neighbourhoods at its next meeting. Two of the properties, owned by Imperial Oil Ltd. in the West Industrial area