Shelter Beds Added at The Salvation Army Booth Centre in Niagara Region
The Salvation Army’s Booth Centre Shelter in St. Catharines has six new beds to assist men who are homeless in the Niagara Region. On October 1, bed space increased from 20 to 26 with $105,000 in additional Niagara Region funding to address the issue of homelessness in the region.
The Booth Centre men’s shelter is full nearly every single night, says Executive Director Major Juan Burry, so the extra space is beneficial to keep more people from living rough on the street.
“It provides a more safe and secure place to live. Clients can come here and get out of the elements and receive three meals a day. All year long this is a place where they are able to focus on their short-term goals, and even long-term goals, and not have to worry about their safety,” Major Burry explains.
In July 2021, the St. Catharines Booth Centre shelter added a housing support caseworker to help shelter clients find and maintain permanent housing. Between July 2021 and May 2022, 20 clients were able to find housing outside the shelter system, and of those, 18 people have remained housed.
St. Catharines Booth Centre has a residential caseworker to help clients with their basic day to day needs, a caseworker to assist clients in realizing their greater life goals and the housing support caseworker who makes connections with landlords and property owners with space available for clients.
“When clients come into a shelter our singular focus is to help them find housing,” Major Burry said.
If the client requires additional supports, the shelter has established relationships with other service partners in the areas of addiction, physical health, mental health and income support assistance.
