Brampton’s first youth homeless shelter is almost at capacity just days after opening its doors to the public.
The new facility located at 3458 Queen St. West was transformed from a 7&7 motel to a 38-bed shelter to accommodate homeless youth aged 16 to 24 in Peel Region.
500 homeless youth turned away in 2015
Until Brampton’s facility opened this past weekend, homeless youth in Peel Region — Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon — had only one place to go: a 14-bed emergency shelter located in Mississauga that’s almost always at capacity.
Staff at the shelter, Our Place Peel, revealed at a Regional Council meeting last year that for every one youth they accept, two are turned away. Almost 500 youth were turned away in 2015 due to lack of space.
Shelter almost at capacity
The new facility in Brampton brings some relief, but it already appears to be bursting at the seams. 24 of the 38 available beds are already occupied after only 48 hours of being open.
The shelter saw 12 walk-ins over the weekend and 12 transfers from youth who were staying at adult shelters.
As the weather gets colder, staff at the shelter are making plans to temporarily provide temporary beds if necessary.
Current facility a temporary solution
The motel is a temporary solution until the Region can find a permanent space. Last fall construction of the shelter’s originally intended building on Knightsbridge Rd hit a few roadblocks when asbestos and mold were found.
The Region has a 2-year lease on the motel, and plan to look for alternatives in the interim.
The new facility provides sleeping quarters, three meals a day, a mobile dentist and once-a-week doctors’ visits.
More information about the shelter can be found here.
