Families
Based on historical data for 2018 and 2019, it is recommended the City work towards approximately 20 beds for families. It should be noted, however, that more recently when housing-focused supports have been increased for the families staying in motels, shelter demand for families has been well below the average of 20 beds. When exploring options for shelter services for families, and number of beds required for families, the City should continue to monitor and take into consideration recent trends in the number of families accessing shelter.
Youth
It is recommended that there be approximately 16 beds for youth ages 16-24. However, the basis for this number is not as strong as for the other population groups, since there is not currently a shelter that specifically serves youth, and they often do not feel safe accessing the existing shelters, resulting in fewer youth showing in the existing numbers than would likely be seen if there were a youth shelter. Demand for youth beds could be even higher than 16, but prevention and early intervention should form a significant part of the homelessness services for youth, reducing overall demand for shelter beds for youth.
Indigenous Peoples
During the consultations to inform the Housing and Homelessness Master Plan some Indigenous stakeholders suggested that they would like to see shelter beds specifically targeted at Indigenous Peoples. However, Indigenous organizations consulted during the shelter review suggested that they would like to see existing shelters tailor their service delivery to better support the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples. This may include trying to make the shelter environment less institutional and more “homey”, providing culturally specific services to Indigenous clients, and having Indigenous staff or partners to support Indigenous clients. Recommendations to support inclusion are discussed further below.
People with Severe Injury or Illness
Convalescent care is needed to properly address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness with a high severity of illness or injury who do not require, or no longer require, care in a hospital, but require the availability of on-site nursing care 24 hours a day, assistance with activities of daily living, or require, at frequent intervals throughout the day, on-site supervision or onsite monitoring to ensure safety or well-being. It is recommended that the City of Windsor engage in discussions with successor of the Erie-St. Clair LHIN about how best to ensure individuals experiencing homelessness in the community have access to convalescent care.
Shelter composition
For safety, and to meet their unique needs, facilities should solely target youth (ages 16-24) and should solely target families. Shelter facilities for adults could be all mixed (co-ed) or there could be a combination of mixed shelters and shelters for males and females. Having at least one co-ed shelter supports better access for people who are transgender. That said, having separate sleeping spaces for males and females is still recommended, as it increases clients’ feelings of safety.