Hope Mission is expanding shelter capacity as the need reaches a new all-time high.
“We are seeing more demand than ever for overnight shelter,” says Tim Pasma, senior director of programs. “We are finding creative ways to flex our space to make sure everyone has a place to come in from the cold.”
Last night, Hope Mission provided shelter to 1,401 people in Edmonton—only two years after crossing the 1,000 threshold for the first time.
“It’s very concerning to see new records year after year,” says Tim.
“Despite adding two new shelters outside the downtown core in the last two years, the need in Edmonton has grown beyond our current capacity.”
The openings of the Karis Centre in 2023 and CarePoint Wellness Centre in 2024 added 235 year-round shelter spaces. Even with that expansion, cold-weather demand continues to exceed available capacity—on Jan. 22, CarePoint sheltered 187 people in a shelter that initially opened with 120 beds.
To meet the growing need, Hope Mission is activating additional space. As of Jan. 28, CarePoint’s health and housing hub will convert to an overnight shelter space with 50 emergency sleeping mats. The repurposed hub will also serve as an additional warming area during the day.
“We’re doing whatever we can to find available space to keep people safe and warm,” says Tim. “And our goal is always to connect people with whatever they need to take their next step, whether that’s health services, housing, or other supports.”
Hope Mission’s permanent capacity in Edmonton includes 990 overnight shelter spaces, with an additional 50 spaces available as surge capacity. Approximately 95 per cent of year-round spaces are beds — permanent, semi-private sleeping areas.
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When demand exceeds that capacity, shelter staff implement the emergency mat program. Tim anticipates the need for shelter space will continue to increase through the winter, particularly during extended periods of extreme cold.
“We are ordering more sleeping mats to meet the anticipated need,” he says. “But what we really need is additional shelter space — both to bring people in from the cold and to connect them with supports.”
The emergency shelter activation at CarePoint is expected to remain in place until the end of March.