Brockville, Ont. (Rajeev Sharma): Residents of an apartment complex in Brockville say they no longer feel secure after a temporary overnight warming centre for people experiencing homelessness was set up inside their building earlier this month.
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville opened the warming centre on January 2 in a shared common room at 55 Reynolds Drive, a 43-unit building owned and managed by the counties. The space operates nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., can host up to 40 people, and is overseen by support staff and private security.
The decision followed the closure of Brockville’s only overnight shelter on December 31, which shut down after funding ran out.
Several tenants say they were given little warning about the change. Tamarra Timms, who lives in the building, said residents were notified the same day the centre began operating. Since then, she claims police have been called to the property and anxiety among tenants has grown.
“This is our home,” Timms said. “We understand the need to help people, but we should also feel safe where we live, and right now many of us don’t.”
Another resident, Stephen Dwyer, described the first night of the warming centre as chaotic. He said there was shouting in hallways and concern that some people tried checking apartment doors, prompting him to keep watch, particularly for older tenants.
Brockville police confirmed that since the centre opened, officers have responded to two calls involving the same individual. One person has since been barred from the property for trespassing.
County officials say the warming centre is a temporary measure and will remain open until a new emergency shelter is ready, which is expected later this spring. United Counties Warden Corinna Smith Gatcke said the move was made to ensure people had a safe place to go during winter nights.
“Our priority right now is making sure no one is left out in the cold,” Gatcke said, adding that staff and security are present on site to prevent guests from entering residential areas.
She acknowledged the concerns raised by tenants, noting that the county is aware of complaints circulating online. “We take residents’ safety seriously,” she said, while emphasising that officials are also working to find longer-term solutions.
Some community outreach workers have also questioned the suitability of the location. Laurie Hunter of the group Called to Care said the facility offers only chairs, with no beds or food, making it a poor fit for both those seeking shelter and the residents living in the building.
Hunter criticised what she described as a last-minute response, arguing that authorities had months to plan after learning the permanent shelter would close. “This doesn’t serve the needs of the unhoused population, and it puts unfair stress on the people who live there,” she said.
Gatcke confirmed that the warming centre does not include beds, reinforcing that it is intended as a short-term stopgap. For now, tensions remain as residents and service providers alike call for a more sustainable and secure solution.
