A Timmins shelter is continuing to make service changes in response to COVID-19.
Living Space executive director Jason Sereda said they started working with the Bon-Air Motel in Timmins last Friday. There are now 40 rooms reserved for people who are homeless.
At the main shelter on Cedar Street North, they have reduced the number of beds to eight.
"The shelter beds are reserved for people with severe and complex mental illness who required 24/7 support. The purpose of the motel rooms is to promote social isolating and protect the people we support from coming into contact with the virus. We are conducting COVID-19 screenings at the front reception and triaging people to the appropriate accommodations based on need," said Sereda.
He said they are also working with community partners to ensure people continue to have access to resources such as meals, support and housing.
While the changes put additional financial stress on the organization, Sereda said they are doing their best to stretch the budget.
For people in the community wanting to help out, he said donations can be dropped off via the front entrance at 27 Cedar St. N.
Right now, they are in need of food, food containers for to-go melas, hand sanitizer, cleaning products, and gloves.
"Financial donations are best provided by cheque at reception to limit contact with the general public," he said.
Other policy changes currently in place at Living Space due to COVID-19 are:
• Transitional housing visitation is suspended until further notice
• All volunteering hours are suspended until further notice
• Employees experiencing symptoms of illness are required to stay home
• All employees returning from international travel mush self isolate for 14 days. All employees identified as a potential contact for COVID-19 are not allowed to return to work unless confirmation of a negative swab is provided.
• Social distanving process have been implemented to reduce staff-to-staff contact
• There is a formal intake process including a patron intake form and PHU self assessment every time they enter the shelter
• There's heightened surveillance, including the main reception replacing the entrance to the shelter for people accessing services; the overnight shelter capacity being capped at eight people; the daily drop in being capped at 10 people with chairs set up six feet apart; the lobby capacity is eight people and is also being used as a pick-up location for bagged meals; and limited contact harm reduction services are being offered through the lobby via quick bags.
• Continued documentation of overnight bed locations to allow for potential contact tracing
• The shelter is closed daily from 9 - 10 a.m., 1 - 2 p.m., and 6 - 7 p.m. for thorough cleaning and disinfecting of the shelter, lobby and transitional housing floors.
Living Space is also working on policy changes for emergency staff planning, and contingency plans for working with limited resources. Staff has been checking in with the Porcupine Health Unit, other shelters, and services for updates and best practices for COVID-19 policies, procedures and reporting.
