Will council shift homelessness funding to prioritize overnight beds over daytime services?

City of London staff are recommending that council fund Ark Aid Street Mission emergency shelter beds for the next year, CTV's Daryl Newcombe has the details.

Changes could be coming to how, where, and when homeless Londoners access their basic needs.

In February, council once again shifted its approach to the homelessness crisis, this time directing staff to explore options that would prioritize funding overnight beds over daytime drop-in spaces and reconsider how basic needs are delivered to encampments.

Next week a pair of reports will be considered by the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee.

The first report responds to council’s direction that staff examine options for redirecting funds away from Ark Aid Street Mission’s daytime drop-in spaces at 696 Dundas St. and instead ask other service providers if they can use the funding to operate additional overnight beds.

However, the response from other shelters seems to have been limited.

The report recommends splitting funds once earmarked for daytime drop-in spaces at The Ark’s location on Dundas Street.

Eighteen emergency shelter spaces for women could be provided at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope until the end of March 2026 for $511,293.

It would leave $610,577 remaining for the continuation of daytime drop-in services at the Ark during the same period of time.

The report also recommends reinstating $3.1 million in funding for 70 overnight beds currently operated by The Ark at Cronyn Warner as previously approved.

“I’m really thrilled to see that the 18 women’s beds at the Salvation Army are being funded because they’ve been in our community for the last two years, and losing those beds at this point would be devastating,” said Sarah Campbell, Executive Director of Ark Aid Street Mission.

Campbell is still considering how a funding reduction would impact vital daytime drop-in services including showers, food, and laundry that support up to 300 people each day.

“Not only is this detrimental in the short-term to the services we provide (including) how much of them we will be able to provide, but it secondarily puts us in a precarious position for looking for another location,” Campbell added.

Councillor Susan Stevenson, whose ward includes the Old East Village, told CTV News, “There’s incredible issues and problems with public safety concerns on Dundas Street. So for us to continue to fund those daytime resting spaces without addressing the community concerns is going to be difficult to explain.”

Councillor Hadleigh McAlister suggested that limited funding results in tough choices, “It would be nice to be able to do everything, but unfortunately we don’t have the resources. So we’re trying to put the money where we think we can have the most impact right now.”

The second staff report focusses on potential changes to how basic needs including food, water, and portable toilets are provided to Londoners living in encampments.

Currently, service depots operate for two hours each day inside Watson Street Park and Evergreen Park.

Many neighbours have complained that the regular supply of basic needs has caused encampments to become centralized and entrenched in the two parks.

In response the to council direction in February, staff now recommend discontinuing the stationary Service Depots on April 31, and transitioning on May 1 to a “flexible service provision model” that would serve people where they are located.

The report explains that portable toilets will periodically be relocated to new locations based on usage and other factors, “with consideration to proximity and accessibility (for example, McCormick Park, Mitchell A. Baron Park, Stronach Park, etc.).”

McAlister believes residents around Watson Street Park in his ward will appreciate a shift away from stationary service depots, “It’ll allow through the rotation to not have the same areas taking the brunt of the response.”

However, Councillor Stevenson is already hearing concerns from residents near McCormick Park after it appeared in the report, “How are we going to address the very serious concerns that I’m hearing about in McCormick Park that’s being listed as a potential spot?”

The CAPS Committee will consider the recommended changes to the homelessness strategy on Monday.