'We need to do better:' Resident raises concerns about Cathedral shelter in Hamilton

Brenda Hind says since she started living in the shelter at the old Cathedral School in Hamilton's Stinson neighbourhood, she has seen asbestos, mice and bed bugs.

"It feels really terrible ... we need to do better," the 55-year-old told reporters on Wednesday morning.

"I'm hoping this building will be condemned and no one should be living in there."

Hindstood outside the buildingalongside the Hamilton Encampment Support Network (HESN), the Hamilton Centre For Civic Inclusionand a doctor from theHamilton Social Medicine Response Team (HamSmart) to bring awareness to what Hind called "dangerous conditions."

They called on the city and shelter providers to establish standards for shelters and to introduce safe drug consumption spaces there.

They also had a series ofdemands around what they say are terribleliving conditions at Cathedral.

Good Shepherd responds to complaints

Good Shepherd began operating a temporary overflow men's shelterthe old Cathedral Schoolsince July 2020. The pandemic, officials have said,has putlarger pressures put on the local shelter system.

On March 1, the Cathedral schoolspace became a temporary shelter for women, trans-feminine, trans-masculine and non-binary adults.

City spokesperson Aisling Higginssaid the shelter has 58 residents, with as many assix people to a room, and has been slowly ramping up to accommodate up to 80 to 100 beds if needed. COVID precautions are followed, Higgins said.

Capacity issues across the shelter networkhave alleviatedsince the Cathedral shelter has become a women-only space, Higgins said. It's created temporary shelter spaces in the men's system, and allowed workers to focuson housing placements.

Hindsaid there's been a lack of clean drinking water at Cathedral, as well as nointernetaccess,insufficient ventilation and insufficientheating. It's also too crowded, she said.

"These conditions are horrific to live," she told reporters.

For its part, the city said it's taking the complaints"very seriously" and responding to them.

"Staff are working with Good Shepherd to investigate and review operational details and these concerns," Higgins said in an email.

"Providing healthy, safe and supportive emergency shelter environments for clients and ensuring access within the emergency shelter system continues to be a top priority."

Already dealing with the mice

Good Shepherd Hamilton's chief operating officer, Katherine Kalinowski,said she isn't aware of asbestos issues in the building.

Higgins also said the shelter did an asbestos audit, noting the asbestos "is contained and [was] dealt with appropriately."

Kalinowski said the shelter has had issues with mice and bedbugs, but the Cathedral building is old and isn't built to be a shelter. She said a pest control company visits every two weeks.

The city also said Good Shepherd has "taken appropriate steps to address mice activity."

Kalinowski said staff monitor the temperature in the shelter and has also servicedthe ventilation in the building. She said staff are trained in dealing with fires and held an evacuation drill for residents.

Higgins said Good Shepherdis "taking steps" to ensure the heating system is operating, and is offering extra blankets. Space heaters are a fire hazard, she said. Fire officialsalso inspected the shelter on March 14.

Kalinowski said she wasn't aware of issues with the water. The city didn't directly comment on that either.

Good Shepherd is working on getting Wi-Fi inthe shelter.

Another resident, Cindy Lavelle, said despite seeing some mice,the shelter conditions aren't all that bad. She alsosaid she appreciates the staff there,who she says have helped her take her daily methadone.

"We eat three meals a day," she said. "We have a roof over our heads. We have our own space at least... otherwise we'd be out on the street."

"I think the staff have been really trying to help."

Hind stood firm that the drinking water isn't clean, the ventilation and heating are insufficient, asbestos is rampant and there are mice issues.

Residents and advocates offer solutions

The city and Good Shepherd said they're open to feedback.

"When it comes to complaints about the shelter system, we appreciate there is room for improvement," Higgins said. City staff, she said, are developing a formal process to address complaints within the shelter system.

"If you want to do good work that contributes to the community, you have to be open to hearing people's perspectives," saidKalinowski.

What the city really needs, she said, is more affordable housing. She also said the lack of it puts a heavy burden on shelter staff, especially since the industry has struggled to retain and attract workers.

HESN volunteer James Lambert said he feels all levels of government, particularly the municipality, have failed people who use the shelter system.

"In the long term, I think there's no question what we really need is a guaranteed housing program ... It starts here, locally with the city and the leadership here pushing for that program," Lambert told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday.

"It's really important ... that we imagine a world where we don't need shelters, where we actually can house everybody."

Besides calling on Good Shepherd and the city to address issues in the shelter, advocates had more generalized recommendations Wednesday

HamSmart doctor Claire Bodkin told reportersimplementing safe drug consumption spaces in shelters can prevent overdose deaths and unsafe drug use. She said some of her patientssay they skip meals to use drugs, or they hide and use drugs, which can increase their chances of overdosing.

'Listen and act on what we hear'

Bodkin said during the pandemic, a safe consumption space was set up at the Salvation Army Booth Centre on York Boulevardin just 72 hours. She said there were no overdose deaths during the four-week trial, butoverdose rates increased again when the program ended.

"What we as health and social service providers need to do is listen and act on what we hear," she told reporters.

She and other advocates also called on the city to implement standards for all local shelters.

The city said housing services is working to review shelter standards. The city also said it is advocating for more safe consumption sites.

Hamilton Public Health Services told CBC News on Wednesday that it willsupport any organization applying for a site and can also supply organizations with harm reduction supplies.

Kalinowskiagreed that implementing standardscan be a "very effective tool" for shelter providers and people who use shelters. She also said having safe consumption sites at shelters merits consideration.

"We need to, as a community, find the way forward."