4.0 Comparative Analysis
Shelter System Regular Capacity
Windsor Essex’s emergency shelter system capacity is on the lower end of the spectrum of the jurisdictions reviewed, based on the number of beds per population (lower ratio of beds to population represents a higher capacity). Windsor Essex has more capacity than Halton Region, Kingston, and Northumberland, but less capacity than seven other jurisdictions reviewed. Higher capacities suggest that the system may be better able to meet the demands for shelter. On the flip side, if the number of beds is higher than the demand it can result in underutilization of beds and inefficiencies in use of funding. Windsor Essex’s system wide shelter occupancy rate is 9 1%.
The City of Windsor’s investment in shelter services is also towards the lower end of the spectrum of the jurisdictions reviewed. It’s investme nt per resident, at $5.09, is fourth lowest of the 11 jurisdictions reviewed.
Comparison of Shelter System Investments and Capacity with Other Jurisdictions (2018)
| Community | Annual Investment | Number of Shelter Beds | Shelter Beds per Population | Investment per Resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Essex | $2.1M | 151* | 1:2,642 | $5.33 |
| Greater Sudbury | $1.65M | 94 | 1:1,752 | $10.03 |
| Hamilton CMA | $7M | 280 | 1:2,670 | $9.36 |
| Waterloo Region | $3.7M | 245 | 1:2,184 | $6.91 |
| Halton Region | $1.86M | 54 | 1:10,156 | $3.39 |
| Peterborough CMA | $1.4M | 80 | 1:1,484 | $11.81 |
| Brantford CMA | $0.85M | 55 | 1:2,464 | $6.27 |
| Kingston CMA | $0.83M | 48 | 1:3,324 | $5.20 |
| Simcoe County | $0.8M | 153 | 1:1,997 | $2.62 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | $0.44M | 33 | 1:2,223 | $6.00 |
| Northumberland County | $0.265M | 24 | 1:3,567 | $3.15 |
Funding Arrangements
The City of Windsor does not provide municipal funding for emergency shelters, but has covered deficits of approximately $500,000 in both 2018 and 2019 when provincial CHPI funding was insufficient to meet demand. The City provided an additional $500,000 in funding in 2019 to offset CHPI funding that was deferred to 2020 – 2021.
For the most part, the comparator municipalities only provide CHPI funding to emergency shelter providers, and do not allocate municipal dollars to emergency shelter. Ottawa and Peterborough are exceptions. Ottawa used municipal dollars to cover overflow costs (in motels) and Peterborough provides some municipal dollars. All of London’s current shelters are funded using CHPI funding, but they are opening a new youth shelter which will be funded by both CHPI and municipal dollars. A couple municipalities reported that service providers use some fundraising to cover a portion of costs, e.g. in