Efforts aim to end homelessness GILLIAN SLADE
The goals for all shelters changed, said Maj. Murray Jaster of the Salvation Army in Medicine Hat. Homeless shelters are governed by provincial regulations and in Medicine Hat the standards are higher than required.
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"It is not a home. It is an emergency transitional place to stay and work towards getting a home of their own," said Jaster of the Salvation Army’s - Centre of Hope, on Eighth Street near REDI Enterprises. It gleams with fresh, bright and squeaky clean surfaces.
Provincial requirements are for a mat on the floor, a blanket, and a pillow, and no requirement to provide food, said Jaster.
Most of the rooms for sleeping at Centre of Hope have bunkbeds to accommodate eight or 10 people. The mattresses look
here have been some fundamental changes to homeless shelters since the province embraced the vision of ending homelessness in 2010, says the Salvation Army.
spotless encased in a covering. Each person has one sheet, a blanket and a pillow. Instead of a pillowcase the pillows are wiped weekly with a bleach solution.
"They are not allowed to bring any bedding of their own," said Dan Mantei, manager of Centre of Hope.
None of the bedrooms have doors and the lights stay on all night. There have been complaints about this practice but it is necessary, for safety, to use a camera to monitor the bedrooms through the night and that requires light, said Mantei. People who come in under the influence of drugs or alcohol have to be checked every half hour for withdrawal symptoms.
There are five showers and five toilets. Toiletries and even sleepwear are provided free of charge.
A hot meal prepared at the shelter is served late afternoon at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church. Another hot meal is served around 9 p.m. at the shelter. Mantei says this ensures anyone working, and not able to get to the earlier hot meal, still has a meal that night.
Dan Mantei, manager of the Centre of Hope, stands in one of the rooms for sleeping in the shelter.
Between 6 and 6:45 a.m. there is a breakfast of cereal, toast and yogurt. The shelter closes for the day at 7 a.m.
The Salvation Army shelter in Medicine Hat began in 2000 and was open 24/7 for men, women and families. There were couches and comfortable chairs and it was full all day, said Jaster.
In addition to the Salvation Army shelter, that did not accept anyone who was intoxicated, there was Winter's Inn, in Medicine Hat, that took people who were intoxicated.
With the new provincial focus in 2010 the government said it could not support both shelters, said Jaster. Winter's Inn closed. The Salvation Army then had to accept people who are intoxicated. To comply with regulations, renovations totaling about $200,000 took place including installing fire sprinklers, said Jaster. Operating rules also changed. The upstairs had to be divided from the lower level to accommodate the intoxicated. It was also required to have a minimum of four staff on duty and they could also no longer accept children.
"We do offer emergency vouchers to help people with children," said Mantei.
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By 2011 there were provincial funding cut backs. Shelters were only given funding
to be open 16 hours a day. In 2012 it was changed to 12 hours a day. There are some cities that are funded to be open only eight hours a day, said Jaster.
The Salvation Army works closely with Medicine Hat Community Housing Society.
"We're proud to work with the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society (MHCHS). Our relationship is good and they're doing a better job than many cities," said Jaster, noting the statistics here are superior.
The Centre of Hope opens at 7 p.m. A crisis intake interview takes between 25 to 30 minutes, said Mantei, one of nine people on staff. Questions include whether you have any mental health issues and what medications you are on. A metal detector is used to ascertain whether you have any weapons or syringes. A breathalyzer may be used, and a photograph is taken.
"The information is all confidential," said Mantei, explaining that many people checking in have no identification and may not use their actual name. There is a responsibility to keep other users of the shelter safe, too.
"There is a 21-day maximum policy that is applied," said Mantei. "This can be extended but people are encouraged to work with MHCHS to find housing.”
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