Quebec City homeless shelter sees jump in demand soon after reopening

Staff at Quebec City's Rpit Basse-Ville shelter say they're worried they won't be able to meet demand at the height of winter after 110 people sought their services overnight Tuesday.

The shelter's field logistics co-ordinator Roxanne Cadorette wasn't expecting that kind of turnout on the first night the shelter reopened in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood.

She noted that last winter, the organization welcomed 120 people on its busiest night.

Cadorette said the 110 people at the shelter's doors could signal a winter where Rpit Basse-Ville's intervention workers will be highly needed.

"Honestly, I find it extremely frightening," she said in an interview with Radio-Canada. "I'm a bit scared to see what will be the maximum number of people we'll have at the end of the year."

Even though the mercury dropped to below 0 C overnight Tuesday, it was far from extreme winter temperatures, she noted.

For Ariane Desharnais, Rpit Basse-Ville general co-ordinator, the high turnout at the reopening was even more surprising for everybody in the neighbourhood who wasn't necessarily aware that the shelter was resuming service.

She said she finds it worrisome because the shelter was only expecting to welcome 60 to 70 people.

"We see an increase. The rise in homelessness is visible in Quebec," she said.

The general co-ordinator says she is wondering whether the shelter will be able to help each person that requests services.

"Our goal is to ensure that no one sleeps outside in winter," she said. "Looking at someone and telling them that you will not be able to give them a warm space for the night, and they're telling you they're freezing. They're getting frostbite it gets really tough."

For now, a staffing shortage is preventing the Rpit Basse-Ville from operating seven days a week.

Until further notice, the shelter on St-Joseph Street will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Once the Rpit hires enough intervention workers, a second location will open at night to welcome people experiencing homelessness.

Based on reporting by Radio-Canada's Guylaine Bussirewith files from CBC's milie Warren, prepared by Holly Cabrera