BRANTFORD – A former police station will serve as a new emergency shelter to help those living with homelessness.

The temporary solution is in answer to an unprecedented increase in the number of people living on Brantford streets.

Demand for shelter beds across the city is up 60 per cent this year compared to 2018.

The building on Grenwich Street is located steps away from the city's newest and biggest tent city.

"Living in a tent through the winter is not safe, not healthy and it's not a sustainable solution," says Mayor Kevin Davis.

Isaiah Smoke used to live at the Welcome Love Camp, which hosted an open house for the public last month.

"It works for some people and it's a great first step," he says.

Rosewood Housing, a non-profit agency, will be operating the new shelter. Rosewood already has a shelter nearby but says it's been at capacity for months.

The new overnight shelter will be co-ed and have around 50 beds. Staff, security and volunteers will be on site to help.

"We're hiring a lot of new people to do this but we're also going to be transferring some of our people," explains executive director Tim Philip.

But Smoke says it's not a practical solution for everyone, including those with health issues.

He says that a big concern for many people living on the streets is keeping what little they have secure.

"It uproots their life and all their belongings every single night. When they leave, their belongings that they do leave are scattered and picked through and stolen," he says.

But Philip says the large building has lockers to help alleviate that concern.

The former police station will be a temporary solution, but the city says it's working on a more permanent solution. That will include a $20 million plan to build 500 affordable housing units in the next decade.

There's also a new taskforce, including the mayors of Brantford and Brant, as well as a number of agencies charged with finding more housing solutions.

"The city cannot do it alone," Davis says.

"We don't have the resources to do everything ourselves."

Though it was unanimously approved by city council on Monday, it's still early in the planning process.

The shelter is expected to begin accepting people on Dec. 2 and will stay open until the end of April.