Timmins, Ont., homeless shelter under audit over non-compliance of standards

The only emergency homeless shelter in Timmins, Ont., is being audited because it was found not to be in compliance with standards established by the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB), which administers the shelter.

Last year, the administration board created its shelter standard protocol, which has six guiding principles:

Shelters need to:

• Have a people-centred approach.
• Be outcome focused.
• Be partnership based.
• Be fiscally responsible.
• Be committed to diversity and inclusion.
• Use a trauma-informed approach.

On Sept. 22, the CDSSAB received information that showed the Living Space shelter in Timmins was not in compliance with those standards.

It started an audit investigation into the shelter on Oct. 2 that could take up to six weeks to complete, according to Lindsay Cumming, the CDSSAB's director of housing.

The organization has not said what information it received that suggested an audit was required.

"Really not at liberty to say much about the information because it is part of the audit and investigation," said Brian Marks, chief administrative officer of the CDSSAB, during a news conference.

Marks said the organization delivers $6 million each year to a dozen organizations and there's an understanding that audits are possible.

"As a publicly funded agency and maintaining accountability with public dollars, we take that seriously and we want to make sure that the dollars that we do flow are meeting the desired ends, which is to end homelessness," he said.

Living Space's annual budget is just over $2 million. It receives $840,000 in federal funding and the rest comes from the Ontario government's Homelessness Prevention Program. 

In addition to the ongoing audit, the CDSSAB will also temporarily manage the Living Space after its current executive director, Kate Durst, leaves that job at the end of October.

But Marks said that decision is not related to the audit over non-compliance with its standards.

Some Timmins residents, who live near the shelter, have welcomed that news.

"We no longer have the same life we had before they lived here." resident Annette Lacroix told Radio-Canada.

Concerns from residents

In 2020 the Living Space moved to a residential area. Since then, some residents in the area have said they feel unsafe in their neighbourhood.

Resident Shawn Guindon said he's happy the CDSSAB will manage the shelter, even on a temporary basis.

"I'm glad that someone is finally looking into this." 

Guindon said not a year has gone by since the move, where local businesses and properties haven't been damaged.

"One of the advantages to the CDSSAB providing a direct management service agreement is we will be better able to respond to the priorities that we see on the ground," Marks said.