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A new emergency shelter for women and gender-diverse people is set to open this Monday in Cambridge.
Located at Grace Bible Church, 2 Grand Ave. S., the shelter will offer 20 temporary emergency beds and operate around the clock, every day of the week. Besides a safe place to stay, it will also provide services like mental and physical health support.
Kim Decker, CEO of YWCA Cambridge, shared in a press release that this shelter fills a big gap by offering women in Cambridge and North Dumfries a warm, safe spot.
The idea for the shelter kicked off last August, with hopes to launch before year’s end. When they first announced it, Decker told CBC K-W there weren’t really any other places for women needing shelter in the city – partly because homelessness among women hasn’t gotten much attention.
“What we found through our research is that women stay hidden for all sorts of reasons. And one of the biggest reasons is for their own personal safety,” Decker said at the time.
“Oftentimes, you won’t see [women] on the street,” she said. “They’ll sleep in a car or they’ll sleep on a couch with friends or they’re in tiny, small encampments hidden away where no one can see them.”
A count done in October 2024 showed that 2,371 people were experiencing homelessness across Waterloo region – more than double from September 2021 when only 1,085 reported being homeless during similar counts.
On Friday, Decker expressed how excited they are to finally open up the shelter’s doors.
“There is a strong and vibrant network of social services in Cambridge, but a women’s emergency homeless shelter has been sorely lacking for too long. This is a good news story we could all use right now,” she said.
Regional Chair Karen Redman was quoted saying that this new space will offer important supports aimed at helping people find housing.
“We know there is much still to do, but the Region of Waterloo will continue working alongside community partners to improve how we shelter and support people experiencing homelessness,” Redman said.
Pastor David Robinson from Grace Bible Church explained that when their congregation moved downtown Galt they wanted their church to really meet community needs.
“Our hope and prayer is that, in sharing our space and welcoming the women to our community, they will know that we care about them and be an encouragement as they move toward finding safe and secure housing,” Robinson said.
