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Kevin Coghill, pastor and executive director at the Royal City Mission, said last year they were able to be open seven days a week, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and provide two meals a day, thanks to city funding.

The funding was extended for the first three months of 2024, but Coghill said it will not be enough to keep the doors open for long.

The Royal City Mission is choosing to stay open seven days a week in April because of the colder temperatures.

“With additional funding, we were able to do more, and that’s great. We didn’t know if it would continue or not, and it’s not, so we have to make the necessary adjustments,” Coghill said.

He said shortened hours mean people will be looking elsewhere for nine additional meals every week and may not have anywhere to go on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“It’s awful, it’s terrible for us (to turn people away). This is our community too and we love the people that come, we care about them, so we know it’s going to be hard on them and yet don’t have the resources to continue to do it,” said Coghill.

He said staffing and basic operations at the mission need to be funded to stay open.

“We’re trying to balance staff needs with community needs and our budget,” Coghill said.

He said without cutting back hours, the Royal City Mission might not last the summer, and the colder winter months are when shelter and food are greatly needed.

The Royal City Mission saw a 30-per-cent increase in visitors to their drop-in program in 2023, and already Coghill said there is another five-per-cent increase in daily attendance this year.

“We think it’s going to get worse,” said Coghill. “We’re expecting an increase when we’re decreasing (services).”

He said he is concerned that temporary measures put in place right now for the community, though good-willed, will not lead to permanent housing and permanent solutions. He recognized that agencies are working hard to house folks living in encampments, but said there may not be anywhere for them to go.

“We’re going to see a lot more at the end of April, the beginning of May, where certain funds have run out and agencies are cutting back,” said Coghill. “I’m not sure the long-term goals they have are possible.”

To learn more or donate to the Royal City Mission’s drop-in program, visit .