Shelter funding comes through in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, while housing group still looking

The Housing and Homeless Coalition in Happy Valley-Goose Bay says it still hopes it will land the money needed for a co-ordinator, even though it has received another rejection.

Last spring, the groupapplied for funding for the position, which would help with outreach and other initiatives with thetransient population in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. That request was not approved.

Coalition chair Jackie Compton-Hobbs saidshe's looking elsewhere for the moneyfor what she sees as a very important position.

"I'm hopeful that in the future there may be some money under the part of Aboriginal Indigenous funding," Compton-Hobbs said.

"I think an outreach co-ordinator is an important position to be housed out of the housing hub. They could go out into the community, work with the people that are out there that need assistance."

Shelter gets funding for another year

Another group in the same town recently got some good news on the financial front.

A shelter in Happy Valley-Goose Bay got the money it needed to keep its doors open this year. The shelter offers people a hot meal, a place to sleep and in some cases, a lifeline.

Amos Semigaksaidthe shelter has helped him immeasurably since he moved to Happy Valley-Goose Bay from Hopedale in 2018.

"Coming here in Goose Bay, at least I have a chance staying at the homeless shelter, at the hub. And that's what's keeping me alive right now," Semigak said.

Compton-Hobbs said while it's great the shelter is staying open, core funding would allow it to operate full time. Currently, its hours of operation are 8 p.m. until 8 a.m.

"Obviously the shelter is well needed in this community, and I think we all know that is not going anywhere. So it's time that we sat down and looked at the long-term solution to the shelter," she said.

Compton-Hobbs addedthe coalition is working with the Salvation Army and other partners around the community to establish a safe sober house to open up in the future, and she hopesthe now-vacant outreach co-ordinatorposition will be filled.

"I'm hopeful that this position will be successful in the very near future," she said.

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