Essex County council will weigh service cuts for the Essex County Homelessness Hub (ECH2) in Leamington on Wednesday night.
A new report shows a roughly $140,000 shortfall, tied to rising costs and the loss of a one-time $70,000 federal funding surplus distributed through the City of Windsor.
To stay within budget, the county is considering closing the overnight program for about two months this summer, and cutting daytime services to weekdays only through the fall.
Officials say demand remains steady, with dozens of people using the hub daily, and no alternative drop-in options during the proposed closures.
Speaking AM800’s The Kyle Horner Show, the city’s commissioner of Human & Health Services, Dana Paladino, said the funding gap isn’t a cut, but the end of temporary support.
“It was never intended to be annualized or long term funding, so that funding, I mean, it’s just at an end, it was one time,” Paladino said.
“So when the county asked are we receiving that again, it was never budgeted. We don’t have it. All our upper levels of government funding have already been allocated.”
Paladino said the city already provides more than 10 per cent of its homelessness funding to the county.
“10 per cent when their homelessness population as a whole makes up less than 6 per cent,” she said.
“So in terms of percentages and fairness, just very high level, they are getting just based on numbers alone, they are getting a disproportionate share and to their benefit.”
As concerns grow about people having to leave the county to find shelter in Windsor, Paladino said it’s happened before.
“I know in the past when there’s been capacity issues with families and, prior to having the supports that they currently have in the county, we’ve actually arranged for transportation from the county to Windsor for individuals seeking overnight shelter. So it’s not completely unheard of,” she said.
Paladino said the city wants to track where people are coming from to better understand movement into Windsor.
She adds the relationship with the county remains strong, with ongoing communication and plans to clarify funding to council.
County Council meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday, and can either accept the reductions or look for new funding to keep services at current levels.