City staff are currently reviewing the Barton Street site proposed in November. Photo credit: Facebook/Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS)
A project to build tiny shelters in Hamilton for those experiencing homelessness is once again being delayed as Council wants more time for staff to review a newly proposed location.
An organization called the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) launched in January 2022 with the goal to construct and operate a 10-to-20-shelter community as an alternative for those who typically live in tents. They had hoped to have the plan up and running by the beginning of this winter.
HATS originally proposed Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, which was decommissioned in 2019, as a potential location for the community. However, a number of political hurdles, including a bylaw regarding emergency shelter locations, put a damper on those plans.
But then a new location was proposed in November: an unused parking lot on a private piece of land at 647 Barton Street, near Sherman Avenue North. The owner of the lot supports the project and offered his land for their use.
However, when the new location proposal came in front of Hamilton’s Emergency and Community Services Committee (ECS), councillors voted to direct staff to continue to review other potential locations and see how the options compare to the Barton Street lot proposal. That vote came after significant pushback from residents at the meeting, who said that they were not given enough time to provide feedback.
The committee voted five to one to defer the decision. It is expected to be revisited at a scheduled January 19 meeting.
The dissenting vote was Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark, who wants the project approved and feels that the process is being unnecessarily dragged out.
The tiny homes community would be most beneficial in the wintertime, as the heated structures would provide shelter from cold temperatures and potentially save lives.
The goal is also to provide wrap-around services to those living in the community which include healthcare, mental health support, addiction counselling, system navigation support, and permanent housing support.
Each cabin would have lighting, heat, a small fridge, microwave, and a fire extinguisher. Washroom, shower, and laundry facilities would be provided via an on-site communal trailer or shipping container.
A GoFundMe was launched to raise money for the shelters, which cost $5,000 each to build. Over $30,000 has been raised so far.
Once the location has been agreed upon, councillors will debate whether to provide funding to the group. An immediate $100,000 grant was requested and was officially recommended by city staff along with consideration of an additional annual $100,000 grant over the next two years.
HATS has also worked with Wesley Urban Ministries and the joint police-paramedic social navigator program to provide support for residents as well as 24-7 staffing and security on site.
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.
