Housing Society sets up daytime shelter for duration of COVID-19
By JEREMY APPEL on March 21, 2020.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com@MHNJeremyAppel The Medicine Hat Community Housing Society has opened a daytime homeless shelter for the ongoing COVID crisis’s duration. The shelter, a partnership between MHCHS, the Salvation Army and Alberta Health Services, opened its doors Friday at the MHCHS resource centre (476 Fourth St. SE). It will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. before converting back to an overnight shelter at 7:30 p.m. “With the importance of supporting our vulnerable population, just like anyone else, through this pandemic, we recognized they need somewhere to go during the daytime that was just very basic service when they are out in the elements,” says Jaime Rogers, MHCHS manager of homelessness and housing development projects. Places that the homeless would go during the day, such as the MHCHS main office or various city facilities, are closed, which underscores the importance of having a centralized place they can go to during the pandemic, said Rogers. She emphasized the shelter is only open to those experiencing homelessness, meaning just those who are in an overnight shelter or on the streets. A significant challenge is abiding by Alberta Health Service guidelines for social distancing. “During the daytime, we can’t meet the requirement to be socially distant from each other in the shelter, but we can during night time,” Rogers said. They are working with AHS to ensure they meet the requirements as closely as possible, she added. “These individuals have nowhere else to go and have no other support,” said Rogers. She says patrons will have access to mental health support services and a limited amount of food is available. “It’s about really supporting all our community members through this pandemic and this is a critical resource that’s needed,” Rogers said. The shelter requires hand sanitizer and disposable gloves for staff. Those looking to donate can contact Rogers at 403-928-1714. 15-14
