A COVID emergency daytime shelter planned for the former Mustard Seed location on North Railway Street has hit another roadblock. (CHAT News Photo/Colton McKee)

By Chris Brown

MPC wants mitigation strategy

Daytime shelter’s location up in the air again

Apr 13, 2021 | 5:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat’s Community Housing Society has been dealt another setback in its attempt to establish a daytime shelter to protect the city’s vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shelter first opened in the 600 block of Third Street downtown in December. After complaints from neighbouring businesses about vandalism and harassment, it moved to 435 North Railway Street, the former site of the Mustard Seed and Champions Centre on April 1.

Last Wednesday, the permit application was before the municipal planning commission, which tabled the issue for two weeks and asked operators to create a mitigation plan so the same issues can be avoided at the new location.

“It’s actually prohibited services from being offered to our vulnerable people in Medicine Hat that are using our overnight shelter and are sleeping rough,” says Jaime Rogers, manager of homeless and housing development department with Medicine Hat Community Housing Society. “With the additional COVID restrictions, it left people with absolutely nowhere to go which means they are out in the elements without basic necessities of shelter, access to washrooms.”

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She says the timing couldn’t have been worse, with the municipal planning commission’s decision coming the same day the new public health measures came into effect.

Rogers adds the COVID emergency response is in place with the understanding that a lot of businesses and other services that are available to our population are closed during this time.

When the decision came down, community partners stepped up to the plate to help.

“We actually had a couple of our agencies open up their boardrooms so that people could come in out of the elements and use facilities and grab a coffee again while nothing was open,” says Rogers.

McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association operates the shelter under a contract signed with Medicine Hat Community Housing Society.

Rogers says they have asked for more clarity from the municipal planning commission on what it wants.

She says some concerns heard at the meeting surrounded people causing disturbances when coming and going and congregating outside of the building, but questions where those are coming from.

“During our COVID crisis and given that it’s a social service I think maybe those requirements are a little bit outside the bounds of what the municipal planning commission can actually require of individuals given that once you or I leave a place the organization or business that we leave from is also not responsible for our behaviours or our actions about where we go to or how we conduct ourselves,” she said.

Rogers says community partners and city administration have been helpful in locating temporary and interim solutions and spots for the daytime COVID emergency response.

Rogers says she understands McMan will present a mitigation plan to the municipal planning commission at its next meeting and its decision will determine the next course of action. Rogers says that could be an appeal for that location, or finding another space.

Funding to operate the shelter will end on Sept. 30.