Decisions to be made involving homeless shelter

Funding for the 24 hour emergency homeless shelter at Pete Palangio Arena is set to run out at the end of the month.

Councillor Dave Mendicino is the chair of the Nipissing District Housing Corporation and a board member with the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board.

He tells BayToday a DSSAB meeting is set to take place this week to decided the next steps.

“There’s really no update in terms of what happens after. There’s been a lot of discussions, a lot of scenarios, everything is being presented at Wednesday’s board meeting and decisions will come out of that board meeting,” he says.

Mendicino says short and long term options will be presented.

He also says work will be starting soon on the transitional supportive housing at the former OPP Building on Chippewa Street.

“Those renovations will commence shortly and we’re expecting it to be operational sometime towards the end of the year,” Mendicino says.

He adds that facility serves a different purpose than the low barrier facility at Pete Palangio Arena.

(File photo by Brenda Turl/BayToday.ca)