Follow-up meeting on Hamilton’s tiny shelter project set for Monday night

Another public meeting is set for Monday night to discuss the plan to build tiny shelters to house those experiencing homelessness in Hamilton.

Tonight’s meeting serves as a follow up to last month’s meeting that was led by the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) and the ward 2 council team.

The first meeting saw community members expressing their concerns around the tiny homes being built and their disappointment in not being consulted before the plan was approved by council.

Concerns brought forward by residents included those surrounding theft, violence and drug use in the area that the tiny homes are planned to be built.

The two-year pilot project plans to build 25 tiny shelters along Strachan Avenue in the city’s north end. A recently released rendering of the homes shows them sitting in a semi circle formation and includes a kitchen and washroom facility.

Plans for these homes show the inclusion of heating, mini fridges and bedding for tenants as well.

READ MORE: Public meeting addresses plan for homeless tiny shelters in Hamilton

Back in August, council voted to pass a revised encampment strategy that included the pilot project for these tiny homes.

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.

Expected on the agenda for this next meeting is feedback from the previous one, a draft plan and a selection process for tenants in the units.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath is also expected to be at the meeting. She says the tiny shelters is one step in providing aid to those affected by the crisis but says additional support is needed at the provincial level in supports above the municipal level such as social workers and mental health workers.

Mayor Horwath tells CHCH TV the city’s encampment protocol serves as a “human-rights based approach while maintaining parks and public spaces that are safe and usable for everyone.”

The meeting is set to run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bennetto Community Centre to continue the community discussion on the project.

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