What’s next after city closes emergency warming centre that brought 132 homeless Londoners inside Thursday night?

City staff are following through on plans to close London's temporary emergency warming centre. CTV's Daryl Newcombe explains.

On Friday, the City of London closed the emergency warming centre that was hastily opened Tuesday night in response to the Cold Weather Alert issued by the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

Based on the events of this week, Coun. Sam Trosow intends to bring forward a motion to the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee about the city’s response to future Cold Weather Alerts.

“While this was a very unusual set of temperature conditions, I think we will continue to see very cold weather this winter,” Trosow told CTV News. “What I’m looking for here is a framework for how we’re going to proceed so we don’t have to recreate it from scratch each time.”

His motion would ask city staff to report back with a framework for overnight warming centres and resting spaces during Cold Weather Alerts, including the weather conditions required to trigger a response, a process to staff them, and potential funding sources.

Mayor Josh Morgan asserts that the motion is redundant.

“Councillor Trosow needs to read his email because I’ve sent an email around to councillors saying I’ve asked staff to come forward and give a debrief of what happened,” Morgan said. “They are going to meet with agencies this week (and) next week.”

Throughout Friday morning, homeless Londoners loaded their belongings into taxis and Checker SUV Limos outside the Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre (CHOCC) and were driven to frontline agencies and permanent shelters.

In total, 132 people spent Thursday night inside the warming centre, more than on Wednesday (120) or Tuesday (62).

However, when temperatures rose above the requirements for a Cold Weather Alert (-15 degrees, -20 degrees with windchill), the city began winding down the temporary warming centre.

Coun. Elizabeth Peloza visited the warming centre on Friday morning, “We know the need is there. No one’s not saying the need is there. It’s how do we pay for it in a sustainable way?”

CTV News followed one SUV that brought its passenger to the rear entrance of Ark Aid Street Mission, a shelter that reached capacity the night before.

Trosow worries shelters might have to turn many people away this weekend when temperatures are expected to remain below zero but above the criteria for another Cold Weather Alert, “The remarkable attendance at this [warming] centre means we need to increase our capacity.”

Morgan said the city will respond to future weather events, “When a winter alert comes again, [existing shelters] would have the surge capacity opportunities again. And every situation will be assessed at that time.”

Peloza explained, “People want to be housed all year, just not when it’s cold weather and just not for a week or two. It’s permanent solutions that we really need.”

Trosow’s proposed motion reads:

• Civic Administration be REQUESTED to investigate and report back to a future meeting of CPSC with a framework for the provision of overnight warming centers and resting spaces for cold weather emergencies. This framework should include the following:

a) A review of climate conditions required for opening additional emergency overnight warming centers and resting spaces during circumstances such as extreme weather events;

b) Process for quick implementation with service providers, other city departments, and emergency police and fire services for assistance with the staffing and monitoring of overnight warming centers and resting places in cold weather emergencies; and

c) Sources of funding for the provision of such overnight warming centers and resting spaces.