Despite mild temperatures this winter, it was the busiest season in 20 years for Barrie’s Out of the Cold program.

The program helped 5,000 people find a warm place to sleep this winter, and staff members say they are already starting to plan for next year.

“We had a record number of nights at capacity, where literally we couldn't take anymore guests,” says Gary Lyon, president of Out of the Cold.

Twelve different churches host the program during the winter. However for the rest of the year, only a limited number of beds are available at shelters like the Salvation Army.

This, for some, can mean alleys, stairwells and benches.

“Anywhere I can hang my hat,” says one man. “More or less, place my head. I've slept outside. Oh yeah, I've done that.”

Staff has been trying to find a bigger, permanent location, rather than jumping from church to church. Officials say there are two significant issues at the heart of the problem.

“Transitional housing, affordable housing, says Lyon. “These are big issues the city and the county need to grapple with and there's some progress, which is good, but a lot, a long way to go.”

Because of donations and more than a thousand volunteers, the program is able to operate on a budget of about $100,000 annually. Almost half of that comes from the County of Simcoe.

While staff members are hoping local government will respond to the increased need, they aren’t planning any sort of formal lobby just yet. For now they will continue to rely on volunteers, and say they are always looking for more of them.