Emergency shelter program puts up 127 Islanders in hotels

More than 100 Islanders used hotel rooms for emergency shelter through a pilot program on P.E.I. that started last November.

Between November 2018 and the end of August 2019, 127 people were given free rooms.

On average, people stayed in the hotel for 19 nights and most of the use was during winter.

So farthe province said the program has cost about $213,000.

The pilot program, run through the P.E.I. government and Family Violence Prevention Services, providesIslanders in urgent need ofshelter with a hotel room.

Peoplecan call a toll-free number if they don't have a safe or sustainable place to stay for the night.

Those in need can find shelter while they work with government or community organizations to find a more permanent housing solution.

A sense of shelter needs

The pilot program was created with the aim of gettinga better sense of what the Island'sshelter needs are, including which demographics are using shelterservices on P.E.I.and how often.

Further details will be released in the coming weeks once the province has completed a full assessment ofthe program.

The province saidit has mainly used two hotels on the Island one for individuals and another for families.

Officials said the hotel and motel option continuesto be offered to people in need.

The province hasn't fully released its emergency housing plan for the coming winter.

Officials said they're looking at possibly adding more beds, expanding access to transportationand creating warming centres so people have somewhere to go during the day.

The province also directs people to four shelters in Charlottetown and one on Lennox Island.

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