A long-awaited temporary shelter village for people experiencing homelessness in Thunder Bay, Ont., is finally operational, with the first residents set to move in on Friday.
The village, located at 879 Alloy Place, consists of 80 sleeping cabins as well as common buildings with a kitchen, washrooms, laundry facilities and a security office built by Thunder Bay company ModBox Modular.
“The units are climate controlled, they have locking doors, they are suitable for double occupancy or single occupancy. We have some accessible units as well, and all of the units can be adapted to suit residents’ needs,” said Rilee Willianen, the city’s supervisor of encampment response, during a media tour of the site on Thursday.
The project is part of the city’s 10-part Enhanced Encampment Response plan, approved by councillors in 2024. It has been delayed several times due to public backlash over where the site should be located.
Construction delays also pushed back the opening of the village’s first units, which the city had hoped would be occupied this summer.
The first 40 units are now hooked up to electricity, with the remaining ones expected to be connected in the next couple of weeks.
The city drew inspiration from similar projects elsewhere in Ontario, such as Peterborough’s Modular Bridge Housing Community.
“This is a fairly new style of modular bridge housing, so we’ve been in regular discussion and have definitely taken some lessons learned from them into our village,” Willianen said of other communities’ experiences.
‘We need to gradually scale up’
Each living unit includes a bed, desk, window, laundry and garbage bins and a clothing rack.
They also feature LifeguardLite panels on the walls, which allow residents to press a button if they want to be monitored while using drugs. If the timer runs out before the resident presses the thumbs up button, staff are alerted that they may need assistance. The panel also has a smoke detection sensor and evacuation alarm.
Residents must participate in a support plan as they work toward securing long-term housing. They can live in the village for up to four years.
“We’ll be working directly with DSSAB [District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board] and their partners. There are a number of units, transitional units, that are expected to come online in the next few years, and we will be working with them to get people moving from streets to [the] village to homes,” Willianen explained.
People can be referred to live at the shelter village through partners in Thunder Bay’s emergency shelter system or through the city’s encampment response team, Willianen said.
Eligibility is determined by something called the Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT), which is used by social service agencies to assess the urgency of people’s needs.
While the site currently consists of structures situated on gravel, Willianen said the city has partnered with Confederation College so that students can start building things to “spruce it up,” such as planter boxes or picnic tables.
There is no timeline for when the village will be at full occupancy; Willianen said the plan has always been to take a phased approach.
“We want the village to succeed, so we need to gradually scale up — and how quickly that scale up happens really depends on how things go,” she said. “We, of course, want this village to be operational and functioning as quickly as possible.”
The province contributed $2.8 million for the project, which reduced the city’s original $5 million capital commitment. The city’s annual operating budget for the village is $1.5 million.
On-site services, security and support
The village is being operated by Demetrakopoulos Enterprises Inc. There are 14 staff members in total: a program manager, program supervisor, system navigators, community support leads and community support workers.
“We have 24-hour supervision and support that’s delivered through the security officers as well as our community support workers who are 24-7. In addition, we’re providing a breakfast daily to all residents,” said Anton Demetrakopoulos, executive director of Shelter Village Thunder Bay.
“We also have services, for example, on-site peer supervision, whether that’s helping with laundry, daily tasks, transportation, getting to appointments. And lastly, our system navigators are providing assistance with counseling, case management, getting IDs, income supports, and housing-focused support.”
Emergency shelter operators from Grace Place, Urban Abbey and Shelter House have all told CBC News they feel hopeful that having the temporary shelter village open will help alleviate pressures this winter.
“I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this initiative goes,” said Brendan Cartlin, executive director of Shelter House.
“There are a couple clients here that are getting ready to [move] in and I wish them the best.”
