The plan will see the creation of 192 shelter spaces. Pictured: Hamilton City Hall. Photo Credit: City of Hamilton/X.
Hamilton City Council has officially approved a new multi-million-dollar plan to increase shelter spaces and create a city-sanctioned encampment featuring tiny shelters ahead of the upcoming winter season.
The plan, which was recommended by city staff, will see the creation of 192 shelter spaces.
The full breakdown of new shelter beds is as follows: 50 beds at Good Shepherd Cathedral, 45 beds at the Asylum Seekers Assistance Program, 24 at the Salvation Army, 20 beds at Wesley’s Special Care Unit, 20 beds at the YWCA, 10 beds at Interval House of Hamilton, and 8 beds at Mission Services Men’s Services.
The City of Hamilton currently has 341 shelter beds, meaning that Council’s new plan will increase the number of spaces by over 56 per cent to 533.
In terms of costs associated with the increase in shelter spaces, Council approved about $4.2 million in funds that will cover from Oct. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, and approved that about $5.5 million be referred to the 2025 Tax Operating Budget Process to cover from April 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025.
From there, city staff say that the program will cost about $7.4 million annually, plus 2.5 per cent each year for inflation. Those future costs were also approved by Council to be referred to future budget processes.
The motion for the new shelter beds was passed unanimously 16 to 0 at the General Issues Committee. The decision was later ratified by Council.
CITY-SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT
In addition to establishing new shelter spaces, Council also approved the creation of a city-sanctioned encampment that will feature 40 tiny homes that will be able to house a total of 80 residents.
The tiny home community would be set up on a city-owned lot located at Barton Street West and Tiffany Street near Bayfront Park and the West Harbour GO Station.
The city would prioritize couples and individuals with pets at these tiny homes and, in addition to the 40 shelters, the lot would include a common building as well as washrooms, showers, and laundry amenities.
In terms of costs, the city says that the set-up of the site will be a one-time cost of $2.8 million which includes tiny shelter supply and installation, supply and installation of other buildings, site preparation and servicing, as well as connections to any other required infrastructure.
The city appears to indicate that the site would begin operating on Dec. 1, 2024, with operating costs through to Dec. 31, 2025, estimated at about $4.2 million.
After that, city staff estimate the costs to be about $4.0 million per year, with an annual 2.5 per cent inflationary increase.
The motion for the new tiny shelter community passed by a vote of 12 to 4 at the General Issues Committee and was later ratified by Council.
Those against the plan mostly cited the cost.
One of those Councillors, Matt Francis (Ward 5 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek), said, “Hamilton taxpayers are being asked once again to pick up millions of dollars in addition to the $110 million in annual spending on this issue solely on the backs of Hamilton property taxpayers.”
“This is too much money to not guarantee that our parks be cleared of encampments.”
The city’s Encampment Protocol will remain, with encampments continuing to be allowed on city land, including parks, with specific restrictions.
Those in favour of the tiny shelter community were (12): Mayor Andrea Horwath, Maureen Wilson (Ward 1 – Chedoke-Cootes-Westdale), Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2 – Downtown Hamilton), Nrinder Nann (Ward 3 – East Hamilton Centre), Tammy Hwang (Ward 4 – Hamilton East), John-Paul Danko (Ward 8 – West/Central Mountain), Brad Clark (Ward 9 – Upper Stoney Creek), Jeff Beattie (Ward 10 – Stoney Creek-Fruitland-Winona), Mark Tadeson (Ward 11 – Glanbrook-Binbrook-Mount Hope), Craig Cassar (Ward 12 – Ancaster-West Flamborough), Alex Wilson (Ward 13 – Dundas-Central Flamborough), Ted McMeekin (Ward 15 – East Flamborough-Waterdown)
Those against were (4): Matt Francis (Ward 5 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek), Tom Jackson (Ward 6 – East Mountain), Esther Pauls (Ward 7 – Central Mountain), Mike Spadafora (Ward 14 – West Mountain)
INCREASED STAFF
A motion was also passed by Council at the General Issues Committee to approve the hiring of seven new permanent full-time staff to support the new initiatives, including four Emergency Shelter Case Managers, one Housing Support Worker, one Housing Services Case Aide, and one Senior Project Manager, at an approximate annual cost of $800,000.
The motion to hire extra staff passed by a vote of 10 to 6 at the General Issues Committee and was later ratified by Council.
Those voting against argued that other agencies are already running the shelters where space is being increased and they have their own staff.
Additionally, the city will be choosing an operator for the tiny shelters and that operator will have their own staff.
Rob Mastroianni, Manager of Homelessness and Housing Support at the City of Hamilton, said that internal city staff “work in collaboration with shelter agency staff” and “work as part of a wraparound team and case management team to provide supports.”
Those in favour of hiring the extra city staff (10): Mayor Andrea Horwath, Maureen Wilson (Ward 1 – Chedoke-Cootes-Westdale), Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2 – Downtown Hamilton), Nrinder Nann (Ward 3 – East Hamilton Centre), Tammy Hwang (Ward 4 – Hamilton East), John-Paul Danko (Ward 8 – West/Central Mountain), Jeff Beattie (Ward 10 – Stoney Creek-Fruitland-Winona), Craig Cassar (Ward 12 – Ancaster-West Flamborough), Alex Wilson (Ward 13 – Dundas-Central Flamborough), Ted McMeekin (Ward 15 – East Flamborough-Waterdown)
Those against were (6): Matt Francis (Ward 5 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek), Tom Jackson (Ward 6 – East Mountain), Esther Pauls (Ward 7 – Central Mountain), Brad Clark (Ward 9 – Upper Stoney Creek), Mark Tadeson (Ward 11 – Glanbrook-Binbrook-Mount Hope), Mike Spadafora (Ward 14 – West Mountain)
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
