Hamilton tiny cabins group looking past Sir John A Macdonald school site
A sooner-than-anticipated razing of a shuttered downtown Hamilton high school has shifted the focus of a group hoping to create a community of tiny cabins for homeless people.
The Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) prefers the Sir John A. Macdonald property - in part due to its proximity to service providers in the core - but a flood earlier this month damaged the school, potentially expediting its demolition.
So we can't obviously have a tiny cabin community on-site if the building's coming down around it," organizer Tom Cooper said Thursday. I think we're going to have to look at other options, as well"
The public board noted it has liability concerns over such issues as mould, structural stability and cracking bricks on the Macdonald site, where it has planned to build an elementary school.
The board has contacted its insurance provider and the Ministry of Education to discuss potential next steps regarding funding for demolition," spokesperson Shawn McKillop said.
There are no timelines right now," McKillop noted about when the school, which closed in 2019 following an accommodation review, might be knocked down.
Trustees had backed the temporary use of the eight-acre property for the HATS project provided certain conditions, such as security and support services, were met.
HATS is open to any location that's a good fit" for the project, said Cooper, who is also the director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction.
On Thursday, city councillors directed staff to search for other potential sites.
HATS aims to create a community of 10 tiny cabins initially - with another 10 to follow - where people who are homeless could find greater safety and stability than they have on the street.
The locally manufactured cabins would be outfitted with lighting, heat and a fire extinguisher. Each would have a small fridge and microwave.
Organizers also aim to offer residents support, including mental-health, housing and meal services, to help them stabilize and eventually move into permanent homes.
HATS has taken cues from A Better Tent City, a community of 50 people in 43 tiny cabins in Kitchener on land shared by the city and public school board.
The tiny cabins won't end homelessness, but they will radically change" lives, said Tony D'Amato Stortz, a former site supervisor in Kitchener who's helping out with the Hamilton effort.
It would mean 10 less people in danger" in Hamilton, and for me, that is a win," he said.
The plan is to use the shelter portion of residents' social assistance pensions to support operations, such as garbage removal, but HATS has requested $100,000 for staffing.
Love the concept," said Coun. Jason Farr, who represents the downtown area. A little iffy on the location."
In an interview, Farr said he opposes the Macdonald location, which is between Bay Street North, Hess Street North, York Boulevard and Cannon Street West, for a myriad of reasons."
They include zoning hurdles, concerns aired by area residents and plans for a downtown entertainment district, he said.
To facilitate the project, organizers have asked the city not to enforce rules that bar an emergency shelter from being within 300 metres of another and suspend requirements to connect with sewer and water services.
I think no matter what site we come up with, I think we're going to have to face the zoning issue," said Ed Fothergill, a planning consultant who's on the HATS steering committee.
In addition to the site search, councillors also directed staff to continue working with the group and explore a potential funding source should the tiny cabins project move ahead.
Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com