A number of stakeholders celebrated completion of an expansion of The Gathering Place in downtown St. John’s today.
Volunteers, staff, donors and government officials were on hand to mark the milestone of completing the Mercy House supportive and transitional living space, as well as O’Callaghan’s Haven emergency shelter.
Mercy House, located in the former Mercy Convent, will feature 52 supportive and transitional living spaces, providing not only a safe place to stay for those experiencing homelessness, but also access to other supports designed to help break the cycle and move forward with securing more stable housing.
O’Callaghan’s Haven, named after key donor and Order of Newfoundland and Labrador recipient Patrick O’Callaghan, will include a 40-bed emergency shelter replacing the current 30-bed temporary shelter at The Gathering Place.
The province provided $2 million to The Gathering Place for the expansion. That money, in addition to $5.9 million from the feds’ Rapid Housing Funding and other donations, supported the renovations to help serve more people in St. John’s and the surrounding area.
The province is also currently providing about $3.5 million in operating funding to The Gathering Place, including an increase of $1.5 million announced in Budget 2024 to ensure it can continue to provide critical services to a vulnerable population.
