Initial worries about London's golf course homeless shelter have not materialized

Like a golfer making the turn after the ninth hole, this week marks the halfway point for the temporary winter shelter at Fanshawe Golf Course.

The municipal course’s clubhouse was converted into a winter shelter and rapid re-housing program for Londoners who were living in tents or makeshift structures.

Operated by Impact London, construction trailers converted into small bedrooms now face the front of clubhouse which offers common space, bathrooms, and programming until March 1, 2022.

Despite initial apprehension, neighbour Ed Lukas says things have gone smoothly, “I’m aware of them, but they have not affected my lifestyle, or anybody on this street.”

The shelter is housing 27 individuals in 26 rooms, just shy of the 33 person capacity (30 rooms).

“We do see the numbers climbing up every couple of days,” explains Craig Cooper, the city’s Director of Housing Stability. “I expect the site to be full in the next couple days or so.”

The remote location in the northeast corner of the city raised eyebrows when it was announced last fall.

However, safety concerns that residents might walk along busy roads or enter Fanshawe Lake have not materialized, according to Cooper.Instead the slower pace of life outside of the downtown core and Old east Village has given residents time to stabilize.

“Some social housing and private market housing, so we hope to have some successful move in in a week or so,” says Cooper.

External agencies that had planned to bring support services to the site are now doing it remotely because of the risks posed by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The shelter has managed to avoid an outbreak.Fanshawe Golf Course has been converted into a shelter and rapid re-housing program for Londoners currently living in tents, Nov. 30, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe / CTV News)

A second temporary shelter proposed at the former River Road Golf Course faced opposition from several neighbours until a fire and subsequent arson charge forced its relocation.

The winter shelter at the Fanshawe course, however,  has proven to be a positive use for an under-utilized space during the winter says neighbour Ed Lukas.

“It’s a city property, so to find a use for it is a good thing,” he said.