Welland Tennis Club set up as emergency homeless shelter in pilot project

With last night’s temperature being the coldest the region has seen thus far this winter at -25C with the wind chill, the timing was perfect for Welland to open up an emergency homeless shelter.

The city has turned the Welland Tennis Club at 45 Hooker Street into a five-bed shelter during February and March, operating it on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Last night was the shelter’s first.

While this is just a pilot project – one that has previously been turned down at Welland Council meetings in previous years – the current council is watching the shelter carefully to see if it can be expanded in the future.

Partnering in the pilot project is the group, Beyond the Streets, which helps the homeless with hot meals and their own outreach program.

The group will clean up the shelter every morning now that it is operational.