Long-delayed emergency shelter opens in Happy Valley-Goose Bay

As overnight temperatures in Happy Valley-Goose Bay drop below -20 C, a long-awaited emergency shelter is offering a warm place for homeless people to stay.

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The shelter, at 8 Hillcrest Rd., was supposed to be ready for last winter but was held up for safety reasons, mainly problems with a now-operational sprinkler system.

"There's actually a really great need for it," Megan Russell, housing liaison and shelter co-ordinator, told CBC's Labrador Morning.

"There's a lot of people sleeping outside and in vehicles and it's too cold for that, so I'm really glad we opened before the really cold weather."

Capacity for eight

Anyone above the age of 16 and in need is able to stay the night.

The shelter can house eight people.

Each of the shelter's four rooms has two single beds, and one of those rooms isreserved for youth or a couple.

Assessment process

All guests are required to do an assessment with Russell.

"There's a lot of personal questions we have to ask them, and they've been really willing and grateful," Russell said of people who have gone through the process so far.

The assessment goes over the individual's history, looks for alternative housing with friends and family, and determines what, if any, support the person is receiving from organizations or government departments.

According to Russell, if a person who stays the night is receiving services from another organization or department, that agency will be charged a rate of$85 a night.

Hours

Guests are asked to register in the daytime and thencheck in for the night between 8p.m. and11p.m.

A pair of shelter support workers staff the building overnight until 8a.m.,when guests have to leave.

The shelter staff can see into each of the bedrooms from windows in their offices.

"We have the Plexiglasthere so we can view the room while people are resting without having to do checks and disturb them while they're sleeping," saidLaurie Russell, theNunatsiavutGovernment's case manager of supportive housing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

In the case of late night arrivals, support staff will do initial processing and a full assessment will be conducted in the morning.

Guests areprovided with breakfast and have access to a common area, showers, extra clothes andlaundry services.

Opening night

The shelter opened without a public announcementDec 7.

Megan Russell said there's been at least two people stay every night since.

"Once people find out about it, I know that our beds will be full," she said adding the official word aboutopening should come out this week.

Funding

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing is expected to spend $800,000 on the two-year emergency shelter pilot program.

The Nunatsiavut Government will be running the site.