Going into winter, we’ve seen an influx of parents with children needing Emergency Shelter in Peterborough. We’re hoping for a big community response to this very serious problem.

Here’s where we’re at: YES has 15 beds meant to keep parents with children safe when they have no other options (as well as 15 youth beds). But there are closer to 60 parents and children experiencing homelessness right now in Peterborough. YES workers connect families with housing options where possible, but can’t offer a safe bed in the meantime without space in shelter.

Families are staying in shelter for months at a time

Families are regularly needing to stay in shelter for months at a time, because of how difficult it can be to find affordable housing right now in our community. This means that young kids are spending their summers at the shelter, going to school from the shelter, and sharing a cramped space with their family for significant parts of their development.

Our Emergency Shelter helps dozens of families every year, but did you know we have to fundraise to keep the shelter operating?

Not many good options for families in a housing crisis

Families who can’t find space at YES, are forced to either sleep in a motel, couch-surf, stay outdoors, or place their children in the care of CAS, while the parent sleeps at an adult shelter in town. None of these are good options.

On top of this, there isn’t a lot of hope for Peterborough families in a housing crisis because of the shortage of affordable housing we are currently experiencing. It’s easy for parents and children to end up with no housing, and no prospects.

That being said, the research shows that those who experience homelessness as a child are far more likely to experience homelessness as adults. This is the impact of intergenerational poverty. The quicker YES staff can help families exit homelessness, the less likely the child(ren) will be impacted.

Families can make it through with the right help

Parents with children can get through homelessness. And the quicker they become housed, the better. YES plans to:

• Keep Emergency Shelter services in place for families
• Continue to provide a skilled family worker to connect parents with the services that are available to them in Peterborough and help them find housing
• Offer food security assistance through our Food Box Program to families at-risk of homelessness
• Begin a transitional housing program for families in Peterborough, increasing the affordable housing available to parents and improving outcomes with the additional support offered through the program

We need to do better for families who have lost their housing in Peterborough. Children deserve to be safe, with their parents, with their basic needs met. You can help us keep, and continuously improve, the services available to families experiencing homelessness, by giving to YES today.