Barton-Tiffany shelters reaching full capacity, say Hamilton city officials

Hamilton’s tiny home community designed to support people experiencing homelessness is expected to reach full capacity in the next few days, according to city officials.

The site, which houses 40 small cabins and 80 beds, opened on Feb. 25.

Since its opening, residents have been in the process of moving in – slowly but surely – as Good Shepherd and city staff work to get people the support they need to gather their belongings and settle in.

“Sometimes it’s not a straight line,” Katherine Kalinowski, CEO of Good Shepherd, says.

“Sometimes it takes a couple of days for people once they have been offered and accepted a place at Barton-Tiffany to gather their belongings, or they might already have appointments to attend. But for the most part, people are moving in fairly smoothly.”

A city spokesperson said in a statement that 70 residents and 24 pets are currently living at the site.

Move-ins happen on a day-by-day basis, but all 80 beds are operational and ready to welcome community members as needed.

Kalinowski says the demand for these units is significant.

“I think as most people are aware, we have a crisis around homelessness in this city and across the province,” she said.

“We’re particularly focused on people who face exceptional barriers to accessing existing traditional shelter models and who are living in encampments or sleeping rough. So we are not having any lack of people expressing interest.”

In addition to providing vulnerable community members with a place to stay, the shelter community has designated trailers for washrooms, showers and laundry, and 24/7 on-site support – including Good Shepherd staff and hired security.

Residents are provided meals and snacks, case management services, physical and mental health care, addiction support, and assistance with transitioning to permanent housing.

READ MORE: Barton Tiffany shelter opens with 40 cabins for encampment residents