Demand in local shelters already on the rise, as Windsor

With wintry weather in full swing, local shelter providers say the need is higher than ever.

The number of people seeking refuge with the Downtown Mission has been increasing so far this year over last year.

“Even our overnight shelter upstairs, where we have 105 beds and crash mats, in total we had 118 people in and out throughout the night,” said Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, the executive director of the mission, speaking of Monday night.

The mission also offers an overnight drop-in shelter to give people a place to go when shelter beds are full. That, too, was over capacity Monday night, though Ponniah-Goulin says they found people space throughout the building.

“But it's sad,” she said. "We had 174 people here last night.”

Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin is the executive director of the Downt