Matthew House warns west-end shelter could close if monetary donations do not pick up

Matthew House is warning the west-end shelter could close if monetary donations do not pick up. CTV's Sanjay Maru reports.

As the holiday giving season winds down, Matthew House Windsor says it could be forced to close its west-end location if donations do not rebound — a move that would displace dozens of men, women, and children.

The Windsor-based organization, which provides temporary shelter and settlement support to refugee claimants out of two locations on Forest Glade Drive and Chappell Avenue, is down roughly $170,000 compared to this time last year.

Executive Director Mike Morency says the timing is critical.

“Eighty per cent of charitable giving comes in the fall,” said Morency. “What we receive now actually has to last us until July or August, when people start opening their wallets a little bit again.”

According to Morency, the shortfall is not due to a lack of generosity from the community, but rather the type of donations coming in.

He says Matthew House has seen a strong response when it comes to physical gifts and sponsorships — including food, clothing, household items, and holiday support — but far fewer financial donations, which are critical to covering day-to-day operating costs.

He adds while those tangible donations make a meaningful difference for residents, they cannot replace the cash needed to pay staff, leases, utilities, transportation, and other basic expenses.

Matthew House is facing what Morency describes as a “perfect storm” of pressures on both expenses and revenue.

In 2023, the organization expanded its operations to respond to a surge in refugee claimant arrivals, using up financial reserves that would normally help cover slower fundraising periods.

While some of that expansion has since been scaled back, Morency says the underlying need has not disappeared. At the same time, inflation has driven up costs across nearly every part of the operation.

“The world is still a troubled place, and people are still arriving in our community seeking safety and a fresh start,” he said.

On the donation side, Morency points to a broader decline in charitable giving, particularly in southern Ontario.

“For organizations like Matthew House, we’re being particularly hard hit because of growing anti-immigrant sentiment that’s being picked up, quite frankly, from what we’re seeing in the United States,” he said.

Those financial pressures are already translating into operational impacts.

Matthew House has laid off staff and reduced some supports, with remaining employees taking on additional responsibilities.

“We’ve already been pressured on staffing,” he said. “Our staff aren’t here for the dollars — they could leave tomorrow and make more money somewhere else — but there’s only so much capacity.”

If funding does not improve, Morency says the next step could be closing the Chappell Avenue shelter, which opened in April 2023 and provides 44 beds.

“If we don’t receive the financial resources we need to carry us through the next six months, those 44 beds would likely be the next to go,” he said. “Both of our facilities are full, so there’s nowhere else to move people.”

Matthew House operates on a housing-first model, with a target stay of about 90 days while residents secure income and permanent housing. Morency says rising housing costs have made that timeline increasingly difficult to meet.

“Generally speaking, singles are with us about six months, and families seven to eight months,” he said. “Housing is very expensive right now, whether you’re a refugee claimant or not.”

Despite the financial strain, Morency says the organization continues to see strong long-term outcomes.

“These are vulnerable people who just need some very basic support to get off and running in our community and quickly become self-sufficient, contributing members of our community,” he said.

He points to former residents who have gone on to rebuild their lives in Windsor, including professionals and entrepreneurs.

“Just in the last two years, we’ve had four doctors who came through Matthew House and are now practicing in Canada,” Morency said. “We’ve also seen lawyers, teachers, and people starting their own businesses, including two restaurants and a catering company here in Windsor.”

Morency also highlights Matthew House’s cost-sharing model. Once residents begin earning income, they contribute toward the cost of their stay, helping keep overall expenses low.

“As a result, it only costs about $167 a month to provide shelter, settlement support, and community integration for one individual,” he said.

Matthew House is entirely donor-funded and relies on financial donations to cover transportation, groceries, medication, staffing, leases, utilities, and property taxes.

“We’re going to keep fighting that fight,” he said. “But we can’t do it without community donors.”