A homeless shelter will open in Kitchener in the former Schwaben Club on King Street.

The Region of Waterloo has announced that it will open a new emergency homeless shelter in Kitchener in the former home of the Schwaben Club.

It says that when the shelter opens at 1668 King St. E., it will replace the one currently open at the former Edith MacIntosh Child Care Center on Stirling Avenue South.

The MacIntosh Center shelter will close on September 28 and the former Schwaben Club will open the following evening.

The region says it will continue to support all gender identities, couples and pets in the new shelter.

“When selecting the location, we considered the ability to quickly activate the site to provide an urgent response, its proximity to public transport, the availability of support services and the viability of the point of view. from the service provider,” said Kelly-Anne Salerno, Assistant Director of Housing Operations and Administration.

As was the case at the old site, the new shelter will be operated by the Working Center and will accommodate up to 70 people between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m.

The region says the next phase of operations will see the shelter increase its capacity while being open 24 hours a day for a period of 18 to 24 months. He did not specify when phase 2 would begin.

“We will be asking the community to actively participate in the public consultation that will take place as part of the development of the Homelessness Master Plan in early 2023,” said Community Services Commissioner Peter Sweeney.

‘In the meantime, I encourage those who have questions or wish to provide feedback on the King Street Shelter or the area’s interim housing solutions strategy to contact us.’

The region estimates that there are 1,000 people in the region who are currently experiencing homelessness, including 450 who have been in this situation for a long period of time.

The King Street building has been vacant since the Schwaben Club moved to Breslau, Ont., just east of Kitchener, in 2020.

On Monday, Kitchener City Council approved a developer’s proposal to raise the height of 24- and 25-story apartment buildings to be built on the site.

Towers will still need to be approved by the region.