AV俱乐部

Social work professor Jeff Karabanow. (Danny Abriel Photo)

Dr. Jeff Karabanow believes in the power of people. The AV俱乐部 School of Social Work professor says the Out of the Cold emergency shelter, now gearing up for a second year of operation in downtown Halifax, is an example of that power in action. The night shelter is a story about the grassroots community providing solutions for the hard-to-house, he says, people who for a variety of reasons don鈥檛 fit the profile of typical emergency shelter clients.听

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure it鈥檚 our role to be doing this, but housing is not taken seriously by the government,鈥� says Dr. Karabanow. 鈥淭he homeless population is radically diverse and we need radically diverse solutions to the problems faced by this community.鈥澨�

Last year, Out of the Cold provided winter shelter and food for 64 different people during 460 stays over a two month period.听Half of those accommodated were youth.听

All of this was accomplished with a volunteer staff on a shoe-string budget after the community quickly pulled together in response to a pressing need for 鈥渓ast resort鈥� shelter space.听听听

Out of the Cold is for people who don鈥檛 fit within the existing shelter system鈥攚hich runs at capacity or near capacity already鈥攕uch as couples, or people who have been barred from other facilities, or those who experience anxiety in the regular shelter environment.听 鈥淲e try to provide a safe sanctuary,鈥� says Dr. Karabanow.

Out of the Cold is small (housing a maximum of 15 people), with a high ratio of staff to clients, who are referred to as 鈥済uests.鈥� The shelter will be housed this year听in St. Matthew鈥檚 United Church on Barrington Street, a warm and welcoming space featuring a reading room off the sleeping area for people not ready to go to bed. Shelter organizers plan on operating from 8 p.m. til 8 a.m.听 They have applied for funding to provide hot, nutritious meals this year as opposed to the light breakfasts served last year.听

The direct involvement of the community in this undertaking is what stands out for Dr. Karabanow.听

鈥淧eople are frustrated at the lack of government involvement in these places,鈥� he says.听 鈥淧eople movements are a strong, flexible alternative. People can be mobilized quickly to provide a local, specific response鈥� to community needs.听

With a management board comprising a range of service and faith-based agencies, nightly operations are handled by volunteers who keep in touch with experienced on-call shift supervisors. Shelter organizers would eventually like to see people who are homeless participating in the management of the shelter. While the Out of the Cold shelter is meeting an emergency need, 鈥渨e should be moving to more sustainable solutions. We need to work at the structural level, advocating for sustainable housing,鈥� says Dr. Karabanow.

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