A new 24-hour shelter opening in Bridgewater next month is being described by town officials as a major shift from the controversial Cedar Place model that drew concerns from residents and businesses over the past two years.
The province announced this week it will provide about $2.2 million to the South Shore Open Doors Association to operate “The Landing” on Elm Street.
The facility will include 23 emergency shelter beds and seven transitional supportive housing units, along with around-the-clock staffing and wraparound supports.
Officials say the shelter will offer services including case management, mental health and addictions support, healthcare connections, housing assistance and help obtaining identification and income support.
The site is expected to open in early June.
Opportunities and Social Development Minister Barbara Adams called the shelter “a major step forward for the community.”
Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell says council recognizes the community needs emergency shelter supports, but stressed the town pushed for a very different approach from what was previously seen at Cedar Place.
“We know that we need a shelter,” Mitchell said in an interview with our newsroom. “Making sure it’s the right fit with the right operator and right service delivery — we see this as a positive step in terms of filling that need.”
Filling the gap left by Cedar Place
Mitchell said the new shelter is intended to help fill a daytime service gap that remained after changes at Cedar Place earlier this year, but emphasized the model itself will be substantially different.
Cedar Place had faced heavy criticism from residents, businesses and police over crime, public drug use and disruptive behaviour in the downtown core.
Police and town officials later reported a sharp decline in lockups and calls for service after Cedar Place’s drop-in services were closed.
Mitchell says The Landing will not operate as an unrestricted drop-in centre.
“It is not a drop-in. It is not a hangout. It is not a free-for-all,” he said.
“There are rules and regulations around the folks that are in the shelter.”
He also pointed to the shelter’s Elm Street location as a better fit than Cedar Place’s previous downtown King Street location, noting the property already functioned as a shelter previously and includes a fenced-in yard providing more privacy for clients.
Monitoring and community oversight
Mitchell says the town, province and police will be closely monitoring the operation once it opens.
“We are not just kind of set it and forget it with this,” he said. “We are going to be constantly monitoring this.”
According to Mitchell, the province has committed to regular communication with the town and police, along with quick responses if issues emerge.
A community roundtable is also being planned, while nearby residents will be invited to an open house before the shelter opens.
The province says “good neighbour” practices and communication with surrounding businesses and residents will form part of the shelter’s operation.
