Grace Family Church will operate as a warming shelter every night until April 30.
The announcement came Thursday, effective the previous day, after the city received $400,000 in federal funding to support people experiencing homelessness during the winter months.
The church, located at 426 Burton Ave., has already been operating as an overnight warming centre under the city’s Extreme Weather Alert program.
Under this program, shelter is provided from Nov. 1 to March 31 whenever temperatures drop below -15 C, or -20 C with windchill, or when Environment Canada issues a storm watch or weather warming.
The funding boost will allow the church to expand the effort nightly, regardless of weather.
The warming centre is open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and has space for up to 30 people.
The overnight warming centre is the first program supported with the additional funding. A media release issued by the city notes they are working with community partners to help more unsheltered people keep warm during the winter months.
“I want to thank the City of Greater Sudbury and the Grace Family Church for working so swiftly and collaboratively to ensure our community has access to services they need,” Sudbury Liberal MP Viviane Lapointe said in the city’s media release.
Her colleague, Liberal Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré, said he looks forward to seeing what other efforts reach fruition as a result of the funding.
