GUELPH/ERAMOSA – The County of Wellington is relocating people living in temporary supportive housing at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre’s Loyola House to a Guelph hotel.
The move, announced on Nov. 26 and expected to be complete by Nov. 30, when the county’s Loyola House lease expires, is being made to allow the completion of renovations at the building.
The county opened Loyola House in October 2020 as part of a pilot program to provide temporary housing and on-site supports to 45 adults.
At the time, the individuals were temporarily located at the Holiday Inn Express in Guelph after the county closed all three emergency homeless shelters in an effort to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission in congregate shelter settings.
The residents will now return to the Holiday Inn Express in Guelph during the Loyola House renovations.
“We are very thankful for the partnership we’ve been able to cultivate with the Ignatius Jesuit Centre,” stated Warden Kelly Linton in a Nov. 26 press release.
“Finding innovative solutions to help adults and youth with the appropriate supports and housing placements is key to ending chronic homelessness in our communities, and we hope to partner with Loyola House again in the future.”
County officials say the move to the Guelph hotel will ensure the county “can continue to serve individuals experiencing homelessness safely” and will also provide additional capacity during the winter, when demand for services increases.
The agreement with the Holiday Inn Express will extend until the end of June 2022.
Officials say the county will work with community partners to find permanent housing solutions for as many individuals as possible.
“Over the past two years, the county and partners have made great strides toward our community goal of ending chronic homelessness,” said county councillor David Anderson, chair of the social services committee.
“Our community partners are doing great work to prevent and end homelessness, and we’ve already seen a 41% reduction in chronic homelessness on our By-Name Lists, and a 78% reduction in youth homelessness.”
Social services administrator Eddie Alton said the new agreement with the Holiday Inn Express “will give us the opportunity to work closely with our community partners and determine what our shelter and homeless serving systems should look like going forward.”
For more information on the county’s housing programs and services, visit www.wellington.ca/housing.
