Local emergency shelters ‘running out of space’

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This article was published 12/02/2025 (269 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 41 beds at downtown Brandon’s Safe and Warm Shelter have been full for at least the last month, with several people being turned away each night, says Heather Symbalisty, executive director of Samaritan House Ministries, which operates the shelter.

“Unfortunately, we had to turn away some individuals in January because we have been at capacity, and that is extremely heartbreaking and hard for us to do, especially in these cold times,” said Symbalisty.

“It’s one of the hardest things for the staff to have to tell someone that they can’t come in because we are at our capacity.”

The Safe and Warm Shelter is open from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. and is a 41-bed emergency shelter for those 18 years of age and older who are experiencing occasional homelessness. It has been operating all 12 months of the year since the fall of 2023.

Symbalisty said there has been an “overall increase,” in the number of people using the shelter. There were a few nights in the last two months of 2024 as well as the first 10 days of February when the shelter was also full.

There needs to be another overnight shelter option in Brandon because Samaritan House is doing everything it can, said Darcie Gervin, assistant executive director with Brandon’s Community Health and Housing Association (CHHA).

CHHA operates emergency housing shelters, a sober living program and a withdrawal support detox program, as well as about 100 low-income or subsidized apartments.

“We are prioritizing families in our emergency housing unit right now,” said Gervin, “and we’re getting lots and lots of phone calls every day for shelter. It’s so unfortunate.

“We’re running out of space, there are not more beds. So, it’s very frustrating to see how things have escalated in just a few short years.”

Tough economic times have presented challenges, Symbalisty said, with many people not being able to afford rent, food and utilities.

But Symbalisty said she and her staff have been noticing that more people than ever before are “struggling with their mental health.”

“We are also seeing individuals that we suspect have intellectual disabilities, and those coming from an emergency room at a health-care facility. Drugs and alcohol are factors as well, and we’re seeing individuals who are discharged from correctional institutions,” said Symbalisty. “So, we need more supports in the mental health addictions areas, and detox beds for individuals to go. Because when they leave, we’re essentially releasing them into homelessness.

“We want to work with all the agencies in our community and start figuring out different ways so that Safe and Warm is used as needed by individuals in the community.”

The number of people who are homeless in Brandon has increased dramatically since 2021, according to a point-in-time (PiT) homelessness count, as reported by the Sun on Jan. 24, 2025.

The count took place in October 2024 and identified that at least 229 people are living without homes, which is an increase of almost 80 per cent, when compared to the people who reported being homeless in 2021.

When the Safe and Warm Shelter is full, Symbalisty said she recommended that people head to the Blue Door drop-in centre, which is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 31A Ninth St. in the city’s downtown.

There is also an overnight drop-in centre located at Life’s Journey Inc. at 725 Princess Ave., open from 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Cold temperatures may have contributed to the increase of clients at the Safe and Warm Shelter when comparing the start of 2025 to the same time frame in 2024.

Last month, the overnight low fell to -33 C, on 10 occasions, compared to the year before, when the temperature only dropped to -30 C twice.

In February 2024, there were only three days when the daytime temperature dipped below -17 C, with the coldest overnight low -27 C.

For the first 10 days of February 2025, the daytime temperature was in the mid-minus 20s C, with overnight lows between -28 C and -30.1 C.

Symbalisty said they have been handing out blankets and winter coats to those who are coming to Samaritan House for the shelter and the food bank, and when it comes to donations, “we’re OK for blankets and jackets, but we would appreciate donations of coffee, sugar, powdered creamer and disposable cups,” she said.

“We could also use more socks, toques and mitts, but at this time, we are really looking to provide individuals with a cup of coffee every morning, to help them get going and have something warm to start their day.”

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