With renovations complete inside Northern Pines Phase 3, the Cold Weather Housing Response Program (CWHRP) is now capable of operating at full capacity to provide shelter and services to up to 24 individuals at the 590 Chippewa St. W location.
The number of spaces in the program increases by 10 when accounting for the five additional double-occupancy motel rooms available to the program until mid-March 2025. During the most recent DNSSAB Board meeting, staff reported the expenditures for the rooms had come in under budget bringing the winter response shelter capacity to 34. Some overflow is periodically available at the Crisis Centre's Four Elms shelter. Staff will monitor usage and capacity levels and report back to the DNSSAB Board.
So far there are enough beds to go around. "We really need to monitor what the capacity is at throughout the winter. Do we need more capacity? Where can we find that?" Tyler Venable, the manager of housing services explained.
"Triage is a huge component in this, Venable continued. "We want to make that well-known, the Crisis Centre does have a rigorous triage process to see if there are other alternatives that would allow the individual to maybe stay at another location through friends or family. We'll be using that heavily."
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The traffic coming and going from Northern Pines has caused many issues with the neighbours over the years. In advance of the program's launch, its operator, the Crisis Centre held town hall meetings with shelter clients, emphasizing the program rules and expected behaviours. A regular security presence is visible in front of Northern Pines and Chippewa Street West, as guards are now present around the clock. In addition, highly visible physical signage is being added to key locations to remind clients of areas to avoid. The City of North Bay Police have been asked to assign additional officers, when possible, to the area to support safety.
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The total spaces available will increase further under the program's extreme cold weather policy, according to a DNSSAB staff report. "The cap on overflow beds is flexible during extreme cold weather periods, allowing additional temporary spaces to be opened." And, more services are available. "District-wide outreach services continue to be provided through True Self which attends areas throughout the district where individuals live unsheltered, providing support and connections to services."
According to DNSSAB, the temporary program will provide daytime shelter that will help individuals experiencing homelessness access the community services available to them and offer a wide variety of on-site services to assist individuals throughout the day. Crisis stabilization and housing access will be the primary focus of these services. Key partners such as the North Bay Regional Health Centre and Community Paramedicine are delivering on-site services, thereby improving health and social outcomes.
The operation of the cold weather response program at Northern Pines has been billed as a temporary measure while DNSSAB, the City of North Bay, Crisis Centre North Bay, and other partners, are actively seeking a permanent location for a 24/7 Integrated Shelter and Housing Hub.
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The Community Paramedicine program provides primary care and can be a gateway to conversations about longer-term solutions for individuals who need support. This service will be complemented by the North Bay Regional Health Centre’s Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, providing recovery-oriented mental health service for people with serious mental illness and a planned Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic, specializing in addiction treatment at Northern Pines.
“As temperatures turn colder, the safety and well-being of our community’s most vulnerable have to be a top priority,” said Crisis Centre Board Chair Kathleen Hallett. “[The] Crisis Centre is providing a safe, warm space with on-site services to address health and housing for those who are homeless. We are fortunate to have committed community partners to work with as we get through what is said to be a cold winter. Our doors will be open, and we encourage anyone
homeless or facing an unsafe living situation to take advantage of the resources.”
The CWHRP, operated by DNSSAB partner the Crisis Centre North Bay, offers access to bathrooms and showers, laundry, food, and shelter during the cold winter months while keeping vulnerable individuals out of the elements.
“Simply providing shelter from the cold to the vulnerable in our community is not enough,” said DNSSAB Chair Mark King. “The addition of the extra services and the focus on stabilizing people in crisis with the support they need will benefit the whole community, and we are very fortunate to have Crisis Centre North Bay, with their vast experience, operate the program.”
