Pandemic, long snow-filled winter creating challenging times for Winnipeg’s homeless

The pandemic, coupled with a long, cold and snowy winter in Winnipeg has been a trying time for many, but especially for those who are experiencing homelessness.

The pandemic, coupled with a long, cold and snowy winter, has been a trying time for many, but especially for those who are experiencing homelessness.

Luke Thiessen, communications manager at Siloam Mission, says as COVID-19 restrictions lift, they’re getting a clearer picture of the impact the pandemic has had on the homeless population.

“For a while, the challenges around social distancing and some of those health measures made it hard to tell exactly where things were going,” Thiessen told Global News.

“As we’re lifting (restrictions), we’re seeing very tangibly the difficulties in more people needing services, mental health challenges that have come out of this, and overall health challenges. There’s just lots of ways we’re seeing that come together.”

Siloam Mission expanded its bed capacity just a few months into the pandemic, and Thiessen says this winter brought about the most demand they’ve seen yet.

“For awhile we had extra space, and this winter is when that headroom – we lost that completely,” he said.

“We filled right up this winter in a way that we didn’t last winter. So we know that there’s something about this winter and the pandemic together have made the demands go up and made it extra hard on those experiencing homelessness.”

End Homelessness Winnipeg says the pandemic made the plight of vulnerable people more visible in Winnipeg, as COVID-19 restrictions and physical distancing requirements in shelters meant many had fewer places to go, and ended up turning to bus shelters and encampments.