As only shelter in The Pas closes for repairs, homeless people 'sleeping anywhere and everywhere'

Dozens of people in The Pas have been forced to sleep on the street after the only homeless shelter in the northern Manitoba town closed its doors for renovations earlier this month, leaving some wondering how Manitoba Housing allowed it to fall into such disrepair in the first place.

With nowhere else for people to sleep, the sudden closure of Oscar's Place sent the local friendship centre scrambling to buy enough tents and sleeping bags so the town's homeless wouldn't freeze.

"You see these lost souls on the street with nothing," said Dena Johnson, executive manager of The Pas Friendship Centre.

"They're sleeping anywhere and everywhere."

The closure came just as the Canadian Mental Health Association took over operations of the shelter, which is owned by the provincial agency Manitoba Housing.

Manitoba Housing and the CMHA closed the shelter for eight weeks on Sept. 1 for badly needed repairs, necessitated by vandalism this summer and years of wear and tear.

The shelter also needs time to hire more staff, after facing a severe shortage since a COVID-19 outbreak last October.