The City of Peterborough has entered into a three-year partnership with One City Peterborough, an organization focused on supporting those experiencing homelessness and criminalization, to run a ‘low-barrier’ shelter program.

The City of Peterborough will provide up to $900,000 in funding per year, while One City will run the shelter from the former Trinity United Church building, at 360 Reid St.

“This is us ahead of the curve, preparing for the winter months,” says Peterborough City Coun. Keith Riel.

The shelter, planned to be named Trinity Community Center, is currently under renovation and is scheduled to open by Nov. 1, says One City Director of Outreach Auden Palmer. The space will have a day-time drop-in program, providing meals, showers, and other necessities. There will also be an overnight program that provides 45 shelter beds.

All services offered at Trinity Community Center are considered "low-barrier" shelter services.

“[Low-barrier] is acknowledging the challenges that exist for folks who need to access shelter in the current shelter system: things like needing I.D., having citizenship or permanent residency documents, or being sober,” says Palmer.

The organization is trying to make these services more accessible to those facing difficulties in accessing the current shelter system.

Riel identifies that providing low-barrier support is a main reason for the partnership with One City.

“The City is not in the low/minimum-barrier shelter business, for liability issues, or other issues […]. So, a partnership with One City came to fruition. They have done the job before so it seemed like the logical way to run a shelter system for the marginalized and the homeless in the City of Peterborough.”

Once Trinity Community Center is open, Peterborough will have roughly 150 shelter beds available to unhoused community members. This is an increase from least year, despite Peterborough losing 32 shelter beds with the closure of the Wolfe Street overflow shelter.

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