Mission Services of London’s Rotholme Women’s and Family Shelter need at least $10,000 just to make it through the week.
The shelter is currently at 195 per cent capacity, with 20 families filling the shelter and another 19 spending their nights in motels. It’s the only family emergency shelter in London that is not a violence-against-women shelter.
The money would go towards meals, motel stays, and transportation to and from Rotholme for struggling families.
“Sometimes the family has resources that they weren’t aware of,” explained Gordon Russell, the director of shelters with Missions Services.
“In some instances, we’re able to offer a service called the shelter diversion worker and our shelter diversion worker will go to them and start to work out a plan. Sometimes that means, ‘How can we fix the situation where you are so that you might be able to stay there?’ or ‘How can we kind of stretch out your stay there so we can search for another place for you to be?'”
Rotholme is the only family emergency shelter of its kind in the city.
Officials say it’s normal to see increased occupancy in August, September, and October but this level of occupancy is “unprecedented and alarming.” They add that rising rent costs and few affordable housing options are putting pressure on families at risk of homelessness.
“The City of London is extremely aware, works in partnership with emergency shelters across the board and actually they have contributed specifically to our needs at this time as well,” Russell added.
“The $10,000 is there to assist us with the stretch that we have right now.”
A release cites a 2017 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation survey that found London’s apartment vacancy rate at a very low 1.8 per cent with rent for all types of units increasing nearly four per cent from 2016 to 2017.
Donations to Rotholme can be made online by stating Rotholme as designation, by phone at 519-433-2807 ext. 2106, or by mail to Mission Services of London, 4-797 York Street, London, Ont., N5W 6A8.
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