Downtown Mission opens youth emergency shelter

Windsor's Downtown Mission is officially opening an emergency shelter for youth.

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Over the past two months the four beds dedicated to people between the ages of 16-22 have been full, according to executive directorRon Dunn.

"Some of our more mature clients who have been experiencing homelessness for a longer period time their little rough and tumblesometimes, and so it's it's just better for our youth to be separated and and kind of treated like kids," he said.

"They have their own TV and sitting area so they can relax and and take away some of the stress of being in a larger environment," Dunn added.

No place for youth before shelter

Before the beds were made availablethere was no emergencyshelterfor homeless youth in the city, according to the director.

Last year's homelessness census found there were 30 young people living on the streets, but Dunn said that statistic does not reflect the reality.

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"We know that's a low number," he explained. "There's lots of couch surfing and people just living rough. So we recognize that we had to have a spot. From the very first night we opened, they've been full and some nights, we have little bit of an overflow."

The youth beds are at the Mission's new building on Ouellette Avenue.

The shelter was funded by the Stephanie and Barry Zekleman Foundation.

"You have to do what you can do to take care of these people and give them at least some hope and some guidance and a pathway to getting them off the street," Barry said.