In preparation for last month's winter storm, the Region of Waterloo made the announcement that they were adding 33 beds to the shelter systems in Kitchener and Cambridge to assist those without a place to stay warm.
Regional staff and security were also spread across the two largest encampments to offer 24/7 services.
Although there were no major incidents in terms of safety, Peter Sweeney, commissioner of community services for the region of Waterloo, now admits there is work to be done when it comes to communication.
"I'd say we have some work to do in terms of ensuring that communication around warming centres, so places for people to go during the day, is something we need to be looking at and can improve." Sweeney said. "I think we can continue to work on communicating the hours of operation and access to specific buildings as warming centres."
Sweeney attributed part of the confusion to the fact that the shelter facilities are run by different municipalities.
According to Sweeney, many shelters across the region were at maximum capacity, including The Working Centre's King Street shelter.
"A vacation day, a holiday, or a big storm can wreak havoc on the community at large, and those that are currently living unsheltered bear an exceptional brunt to that." Sweeney acknowledged.
He added that there are plans to debrief with the region's partners on how to improve when the next storm rolls around.
