Backlash over Hamilton tiny shelter project location sparks neighbourhood meeting

The approval of the tiny shelter pilot project in Hamilton is facing a lot of backlash from residents.

Residents are upset about where the city has decided to set up the shelters, and say they weren’t able to give the city sufficient feedback prior to the decision.

The controversy is all expected to come to a head Saturday, at a neighbourhood meeting on the issue.

The plan to temporarily place up to 25 tiny shelters along Strachan Ave. is set in stone. And some Hamilton north enders, who say they weren’t consulted beforehand about the location, now can bring their questions to the neighbourhood meeting tomorrow.

A few residents who live close to the encampments say they’ll be attending the meeting at Bennetto Elementary School, which starts at 1 p.m.

READ MORE: Encampment protocol, tiny shelters approved in Hamilton despite resident concerns

The session will be conducted by Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) and ward 2 council team — where they’ll field questions after a presentation.

On Friday, concerns about theft, violence and drug use persist where the little homes will be placed. Last Friday in a council vote, the revised encampment protocol which included the pilot project was passed.

According to Hamilton city staff, the strip of land on Strachan Ave. was chosen due to it being a paved area, its separation from other areas and how close it is to the city core for social services.

Ward 2 councillor Cameron Kroetsch, says the meetings purpose is to lay out the project’s plan and to explain why there wasn’t a consultation prior to the vote.

Kroetsch added that there’s intention to have feedback at tomorrow’s meeting be used for another meeting in mid-September, where his team and the shelter alliance will return with more details, such as its draft plan and the process of how they will select tenants for the units.

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