Safety review calls for improved security at Siloam Mission

A safety review of Winnipeg’s largest homeless shelter is recommending improvements to security for staff, volunteers and community members after what its leadership acknowledged has been a challenging year.

The Siloam Mission report, which has not been made public, was discussed during a town hall Thursday night at the Millennium Centre on Main Street, where shelter leaders laid out what they described as a road forward for the organization.

Interim CEO Lisa Cefali, who was brought in at the end of May following the departure of Sonia Prevost-Derbecker after three tumultuous months in the job, said she could see the toll turmoil had taken when she arrived.

Employees alleged Prevost-Derbecker made derogatory remarks about Indigenous people, people struggling with substance use and the downtown neighbourhood surrounding the mission’s Princess Street headquarters.

“Let’s face it, I walked in and some people were tired… just tired,” she said.

Since then, Siloam has completed the safety review, reorganized its operations and worked to tackle a budget deficit.

The safety review produced 11 recommendations.

Cefali said some are “easier recommendations than others,” such as improved lighting in parking lots and increased security training for staff. She did not get into specifics.

She also detailed an organizational restructuring that reduced the number of departments at Siloam from seven to five and management levels from five to three, without layoffs.

“There were lots of unanswered questions about where is Siloam at, and we wanted to affirm that Siloam is here,” she said.

She noted that Siloam continues to have a stable donor base, which has been supportive of the shelter’s restructuring.

She projected confidence that the organization, from its front-line workers to its board, is better positioned to respond to whatever challenges come next.

“What you hear today may change, but what I know — and I’m certain of it — the organization is well placed to pivot… from front-line staff to our board members,” she said.

Siloam is also expecting its finances to improve.

A projected $4.4-million deficit for 2026 will come in “significantly” below that, Cefali said.

“We are exceptionally good right now at looking at all of our expenses, finding efficiencies, working with our donors, and we truly believe we’ll be in a position… where we don’t have to worry about our day-to-day operations because we’ve got solid providers,” Cefali said.

“Going forward, the philosophy of submitting a deficit budget will no longer exist.”

Cefali spoke to measures taken to cut waste, and centralizing its procurement process. She also said they found smaller savings in things such as coffee cup purchases — some $89,000.

Siloam is looking to raise $23 million to cover its operating costs in 2027. Plans to acquire additional housing assets have been postponed, but Cefali said first-quarter fundraising is ahead of expectations, with second- and third-quarter efforts being “very targeted.”

Meanwhile, the search is underway for Siloam’s next permanent CEO.

Board chair Tracy Silagy told those gathered Thursday the organization hopes to have a new leader — its fifth CEO since 2021 — in place by the end of the year after Prevost-Derbecker’s departure.

Following Free Press reporting on Prevost-Derbecker, two senior executives were dismissed after publicly voicing concerns about her leadership. Siloam later retained Winnipeg-based consulting firm TIPI Legacy HR+ to review the organization’s workplace policies, practices and culture.

Silagy also noted the board continues its governance review, working on issues she said she couldn’t share publicly.

Cefali used the town hall to speak out against mayoral candidates taking unsolicited photographs or videos of vulnerable people at Siloam.

Funeral director Mike Vogiatzakis and real estate agent Umar Hayat have both made social media posts featuring community members at or near the shelter.

Sources who witnessed an interaction earlier this summer told the Free Press Siloam staff repeatedly asked Vogiatzakis to stop recording on the property.

Hayat, meanwhile, posted a video showing an individual lying face down on the pavement and other footage showing people folded over — a common side effect of fentanyl use — outside the mission building.

“As a mayoral candidate, I believe every person deserves dignity, respect and privacy, regardless of their circumstances,” Hayat said in an email. “My intention in visiting Winnipeg’s vulnerable communities has always been to listen, understand their challenges and bring attention to issues such as homelessness, poverty, addiction and public safety.

“I take these concerns seriously. I want to be respectful of everyone’s privacy and ensure that people are not made to feel uncomfortable or exploited. I will review the specific photos… and address any concerns regarding consent and privacy.”

Vogiatzakis did not respond to a request for comment.

A Siloam spokesperson said earlier this week the organization has a long-standing policy that community members should not be photographed or recorded without their permission.

“At Siloam, we expect folks experiencing homelessness and deep poverty to be treated with dignity and respect. We work hard to offer a welcoming space meeting community members where they’re at and without judgment,” Siloam said in a statement.

“No mayoral candidate has reached out to speak with leadership at Siloam.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca