As beds become increasingly difficult to come by in the city’s shelters, up to 60 homeless Edmontonians are bedding down on mats in the old downtown Remand Centre.
Hope Mission has laid out mats in the the gymnasium of the now-disused facility as an overflow option offering up a safe and warm place for homeless Edmontonians to spend the night.
Michael Hnatiuk, 49, says he’s lucky to have a bed in one of the Herb Jamieson dorms, but says many of the shelters are already uncomfortably crowded.
“I’ve seen it that its been crammed right to almost mat on top of mat,” he said.
“There’s nothing left for the few that don’t make it in by 7 (p.m.).”
Hope Mission’s Robin Padanyi says the shelter is seeing numbers not typically seen until the colder weather of January and February arrives. (CBC News)
But Robin Padanyi with Hope Mission said it will likely still get worse.
“What’s really alarming for us here at Hope Mission in December is that we’re seeing numbers we don’t normally typically see until January or February when it starts to gets really cold.”
Currently, more than 600 people are sleeping at Hope Mission every night, he said — up about 70 people per night compared to last year at this time.
“It’s a reflection that the need is really high this time of year.”
Padanyi also said the 60,000 people who moved to Edmonton in the past year could also be playing a part in the increasing pressure on the city’s shelters.
“We obviously try and accommodate as many people as possible so that nobody is outside in the elements at night, so that people have a safe secure place to spend the night — but really, right now most of our shelters are at or near capacity in terms of numbers.”
Given the current numbers at Hope Mission, Padanyi said he expects even more mats will be needed at the Remand Centre in the new year.
