Note: This story has been updated to include new information from the County of Wellington
Thirty-five people living in temporary supportive housing at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre’s Loyola House are being relocated back to the Holiday Inn Express.
The county announced the move Friday, four days before its lease at Loyola House is set to expire at the end of the month.
It marks a return to the county's setup at the beginning of the pandemic, when Guelph's three homeless shelters were emptied and the 37 people staying there moved into the Holiday Inn Express to accommodate isolation and social distancing.
In November 2020, the county signed a one-year lease with the Ignatius Jesuit Centre for the use of its 45-room Loyola House as a supportive housing pilot.
As people now transfer back to the Holiday Inn Express, Lori Richer, housing stability manager for the County of Wellington said the transition "should be seamless."
"The biggest change would be having your own washroom," she said, explaining Loyola House was more of a congregate living situation with shared washrooms.
All the same supports, including a nurse, social worker and regular shelter staff will continue to be on site, Richer said.
The county's agreement to rent the entire 53-room Holiday Inn Express, at a cost of $75 a night, per room, extends until the end of June, she said.
In a media release, Warden Kelly Linton expressed gratitude to the Ignatius Jesuit Centre and said the county hopes to partner with the organization again in the future.
“Finding innovative solutions to help adults and youth with the appropriate supports and housing placements is key to ending chronic homelessness in our communities,” Linton said.
Transitioning services back to the Holiday Inn Express will ensure the county “can continue to serve individuals experiencing homelessness safely,” along with providing additional capacity to meet increasing needs during the colder winter months, the county said.
As for a permanent location for the temporary housing program, the county announced plans to move it into a historic building at 65 Delhi St. earlier this year. Guelph City Council approved a by-aw amendment that cleared the way for the 28-bedroom transitional housing project on July 12. But plans have been held up by an appeal from a group of area residents known as Delhi Eramosa Neighbourhood Advocates (DENA).
On Thursday, the county said it intends to work with community partners to find permanent housing for as many individuals as possible, and will continue to work towards developing housing solutions to support the long-term needs of its most vulnerable.
“Over the past two years, the county and partners have made great strides toward our community goal of ending chronic homelessness” David Anderson, social services committee chair. “Our community partners are doing great work to prevent and end homelessness, and we’ve already seen a 41 per cent reduction in chronic homelessness on our by-name lists, and a 78 per cent reduction in youth homelessness.”
