Kenora's only emergency shelter has resorted to charging people who stay there.
It is a policy that follows funding formula changes. Until last year emergency shelters in the province were funded on a per person basis. But Ontario's Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Initiative, through district social service administrative boards, changed that funding to a fixed amount formula that is based on a shelter's previous year.
In the case of the Kenora Fellowship Centre that has reduced funding to $7,000 a month, enough to keep the organization running for one week.
With deficits rising the shelter closes from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. everyday to reduce staff costs but it hasn't been enough. Now after seven nights, person will be charged $15 a night.
Executive director Yvonne Bearbull said people aren't happy and the shelter is trying to be lenient but it's something that needs to be done until a new arrangement can be reached.
Thunder Bay Shelter House director Patty Hajdu said she's concerned that shelter's forced to take measures like the one in Kenora will lead to more break ins of abandoned buildings when people are trying to keep warm or aggressive panhandling to try and make the $15.
"Everyone is looking to survive," she said.
"I really feel for (Kenora). Their community is really struggling and under siege."
Emergency shelters are the most expensive way to help the homeless and were never meant to be long-term housing solutions Hajdu said. The problem in places like Kenora and Thunder Bay is that there is an affordable and supportive housing crisis that leaves them with nowhere else to go.
"It's appalling, it's terrible, it's non-existent," she said of the region's available housing.
"It's really a thorn in our side as a community and it's getting worse."
Fundraising is needed to make up any shortfall that a shelter has. That takes up resources that could be used for other services.
"It really is a big strain on our organization to do that kind of thing but we're committed right now to try and maintain our current level of services," Hajdu said.
As for Kenora, she hopes that the community comes together in order to help.
"Homelessness is not just a problem for the person that's homeless. It really is a community problem," Hajdu said.
