Hamilton’s Cathedral Café program to end after city declines contract renewal

Cathedral Café, a program that was offering a drop-in centre for people experiencing homelessness, will not continue after the City of Hamilton decided against renewing its contract.

The city says the decision is part of its broader transformation of Hamilton’s homeless-serving system, with the choice accelerated by the circumstances affecting the café’s operations.

“When we’re trying to make decisions with respect to where do we best invest to see the outcomes we want around addressing homelessness, we’ve made the decision that the daytime drop-in is not that solution,” says Michelle Baird, director of housing services for the City of Hamilton.

Cathedral Café, which has been operating for years, has been temporarily closed since August after a weather-related issue that compromised the ceiling.

Since then, St. Matthew’s House says it’s been working to explore options for the program’s future.

The executive director called the city’s decision disappointing news.

According to a volunteer, the program serves about 150 people per day, which translates to thousands served in a year.

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