From cooking double of everything to hosting five families in need of shelter, A Place Called Home (APCH) in Lindsay says it has been better able to address homelessness in Lindsay with the recent expansion of its number of beds.
In December 2024, APCH received approval from the City of Kawartha Lakes to extend its capacity of emergency shelter spaces from 19 to 30.
Four months later, APCH staff shared with kawarthaNOW thoughts about the expansion and the logistics of supporting more individuals, as well as families, in need of a place to call home.
“I think we have a bit of a moving target and the amount of folks experiencing homelessness keeps increasing, so the biggest benefit is that we are able to take a bigger bite out of the situation and help more individuals,” said Angela Ricciuti, who became APCH’s new executive director in March. “It means less people are living outside or living rough.”
When asked what stands out most about the process of transitioning from 19 to 30 beds, Ricciuti said, “cooking is likely the biggest piece of the pie.”
The capacity over the winter and into spring remains similar.
“We did have an overflow in addition to the 30 spaces as we did not turn people away to sleep for the night during the winter,” she noted.
“The only real change was that as the winter program ended and folks moved out, we had lots of families moving in. So, the dynamics of who is here changed. We went from a house full of single adults and couples to five families.”
APCH was able to find the space within its current building to accommodate the expansion. When the shelter was rebuilt during the pandemic, its square footage increased.
Back then, it was built as a “pandemic proof” shelter, meaning that the square footage would allow for all 19 residents to remain in shelter based on maintaining a six-foot distance from each other and meeting other public health requirements.
“We for sure had some space to spare and made the decision to up our capacity,” APCH’s shelter manager Nicole Bryant told kawarthaNOW back in December.
“While it doesn’t solve the problem of homelessness or offer long-term solutions, it does create some ease on the system and gets folks inside, ensuring that everyone is in a safe space while they work on permanent housing solutions,” Bryant added.
When asked what APCH currently needs from the municipality and the community to continue to adequately support people, Ricciuti said the shelter already works hand-in-hand with the municipality “to ensure the needs of the homeless community are being met in the best and most efficient way.”
“We ensure that we are working closely together and are always ready to pivot to meet the ever-changing needs.”
As for the broader Lindsay community, Ricciuti said compassion is key.
“We hope that the community supports our efforts and know that we are doing everything within our means to help those experiencing homelessness,” Ricciuti said. “While financial donations and donations of goods are always appreciated, we would also love when our greater community is understanding and empathetic to those experiencing homelessness.”
As well as providing emergency shelter to those experiencing homelessness in Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County, APCH provides drop-in services to those at risk of homelessness. Not only can clients access shower, laundry, and bathroom facilities, as well as one meal a day, but they can work with staff to build a housing plan that leads to improved housing stability.
According to a media release from APCH, more and more low-income individuals and families are as risk of homelessness because of rising inflation and escalating rental costs.
APCH recently pursued and received a $5,000 community capacity grant from the United Way City of Kawartha Lakes, which will be used to purchase grocery cards for clients accessing the drop-in services.
“We expect to support and provide these essential resources to 40 to 50 individuals and families as they work to improve their housing stability,” said APCH fund development coordinator Jennifer Lopinski.
For more information about APCH and available services, visit www.apch.ca.
