!['I feel kind of lost:' Hamilton men facing homelessness after YMCA fire wonder what's next](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7275234.1721925118!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/ymca-fire.jpg)
'I feel kind of lost:' Hamilton men facing homelessness after YMCA fire wonder what's next
CBC
Standing on the corner of Jackson Street West and James Street South with his backpack on, Cesar Lemus stared at YMCA's downtown branch in Hamilton.
The charity's men's residence program has been Lemus's home for eight years, but the 40-year-old hasn't been able to stay in his unit since a Monday afternoon fire ripped through the building's third floor.
"The fact that we have to stay out here … I feel kind of lost," Lemus told CBC Hamilton, referring to the days now spent outdoors.
He is among the 173 tenants who were evacuated out of the building. Around half have since been sleeping on cots in one of the Y's gyms.
Almost a dozen people were also taken to hospital, according to the local fire department.
The residence provides men with short-term affordable housing, the YMCA's website says. It supports "men at risk," who face health and social challenges.
Most residents have disabilities, mental illness or addiction issues, have no access to a family doctor and receive financial support like Ontario Works, according to a YMCA presentation to city councillors last year. Rent is $455 per month.
"It's the only place we can afford," Lemus said Thursday. "I don't really have family members out here."
Some 200 people are also on the waitlist for the program, according to YMCA spokesperson Shawn McKillop.
The YMCA said in a media release on Wednesday it had plans to immediately start restoration efforts but because the damage is worse than initially expected, "there is an urgent need for a more comprehensive transition plan that will require additional time."
McKillop told CBC Hamilton there's no timeline yet for a transition plan.
"Our priority is to move the men into temporary or longer-term accommodation as quickly as possible," he wrote.
The branch will stay closed until some time next week, including the fitness and aquatic centre, a newcomer youth centre and EarlyON child care drop-in centre.
McKillop said some 83,356 community members used those amenities last year.
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Following a quiet and sunny start to September, some wet and windy weather will track into the region just in time for the weekend. A low pressure system moving in from the south will bring periods of heavy rainfall and some gusty winds, particularly for eastern areas. The storm is a bit of a hybrid system. It has some tropical characteristics, but also the traits of a regular fall storm. While there are discrepancies in the models, the storm looks like it will bring widespread rainfall amounts in the range of 30-50 millimetres for Nova Scotia, with 50-100 millimetres possible in downpours and thunderstorms.