Hamilton council to discuss new shelter options to help hundreds in encampments

Hamilton city council will be discussing new shelter options today to try to help the estimated 300 people living in encampments.

One of the recommendations from city staff is building a temporary outdoor shelter on the city-owned parcel of land at Barton and Hess Street North. If council approves the recommendations, it could be fully operational by the end of the year.

The temporary shelters would be built on Barton, Hess, Stuart and Caroline streets, and would be able to house around 80 people as they come in a variety of sizes fit for individuals, couples and people with pets.

The rough cost of the builds would be about $7 million funded from the Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap Reserve.

City staff collaborated with service providers and consulted with both unhoused and housed community members as well as other municipalities to gain more insight.

Other proposed solutions in the report include adding 192 spaces in shelters around the city. Staff say that would increase capacity in shelters from 341 beds to 533 which is a 56% increase. However, the report says that staff don’t expect to meet the existing demand for shelter in the near term and recommend the temporary shelter solution to meet the mayor’s directive.

CHCH News talked Ward 2 councillor Cameron Kroetsch, to get his thoughts before the general issues committee meeting that started at 9:30am.