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PM40050478 THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 2020 RETIREMENT SALE EVERYTHING MUST GO! SEE BAck PAPAP gE k-w surplusaaa unique shopping experiences www.kwsurplus.com 666 Victoria St. N., Kitchener 50pack disposable masks $9.99 FIND BREAKING NEWS AND UP-TO-DATE LOCAL INFORMATION ON COVID-19 ONLINE W A TE R LO O C H R O N IC LE .C A /C O R O N A V IR U S Up until about a week ago, the lobby leading to the Waterloo Inn's tower at the rear part of the property fronting Weber Street was fully furnished like its main entrance facing King Street. Like most hotels, however, the Waterloo Inn has been sparsely occupied in recent months due to the COVID pandemic. "Basically we have four acres here under one roof here," said the hotel's operations manager, Sharon Hales. That reality and the need for more shelter space to house the homeless led her to the decision to enter into a one-year agree- ment with the region that will en- able a comprehensive, 24-hour shelter-care model to be provided on site for up to 115 single men, be- ginning Oct. 15. Additional spaces are being funded for 12 months, relying pri- marily on additional COVID-fo- cused federal and provincial funding, according to regional SHELTERCARE PROGRAM TO CONTINUE AT WATERLOO INN BILL JACKSON bjackson@torstar.cabjackson@torstar.cab See 'COVID, page 7 House of Friendship executive director John Neufeld and Waterloo Inn director of operations Sharon Hales are working together under a new lease agreement to provide shelter space for the region's homeless. Bill Jackson/Torstar