Welcome Centre Shelter

Maintaining Low-Barrier Admissions

The Welcome Centre maintains low-barrier access to shelter by:

• Supporting women and families regardless of drug use;
• Avoiding scrutiny of participants’ personal belongings;
• Allowing participants to possess drugs on site, provided they are stored safely in participants’ units;
• Initiating conversations when drugs are found in shared spaces rather than punitive responses;
• Emphasizing creative solutions to safety concerns rather than expulsion whenever possible; and
• Providing physically accessible shelter units and pet-friendly accommodations.

Creating Flexible & Participant-Centred Expectations

The Welcome Centre’s approach is grounded in individualized support and participant-defined goals. Practices include:

• Providing individualized case management to every participant;
• Developing personalized housing plans based on participant goals and needs;
• Working collaboratively with participants to identify barriers and solutions to communal living; and
• Supporting participants whether they are seeking housing immediately or addressing other priorities first.

Fostering Safe & Trusting Environments

The Welcome Centre incorporates several practices aimed at building trust, safety, and community, including:

• Employing peer support workers with lived experience of homelessness and drug use;
• Creating opportunities for social connection, education, and community engagement;
• Providing harm reduction education to staff and participants; and
• Creating space for people to discuss harm reduction approaches without judgment.

Embedding Harm Reduction & Health Supports

The Welcome Centre integrates harm reduction and healthcare supports into daily shelter operations through:

• Providing sterile injection supplies and safer smoking equipment;
• Offering naloxone kits, safer-sex supplies, drug-checking strips, and sharps disposal containers;
• Using Brave Sensor technology in washrooms to help identify potential overdoses while maintaining participant privacy;
• Employing a dedicated Harm Reduction Coordinator;
• Providing access to peer-based harm reduction supports;
• Maintaining an on-site Nurse Practitioner;
• Hosting a General Practitioner on-site weekly; and
• Conducting monthly drug supply audits to determine drug supply toxicity.

Recognizing Women’s Intersecting Identities

The Welcome Centre recognizes that homelessness is shaped by multiple and intersecting forms of oppression, including sexism, racism, and poverty. Practices include:

• Providing shelter and services for self-identified women, families, and children;
  
• Supporting diverse family structures and caregiving arrangements;
  
• Offering family-focused programming and supports for parents and children;
  
• Providing physically accessible shelter units; and
  
• Offering pet-friendly shelter spaces.