City of Kingston buying building for stabilization housing
Global News
The building will undergo renovations in the coming weeks, with the city expecting the facility to be move-in ready by the end of 2024.
Currently home to a tattoo parlour, a fitness centre and a Unitarian church, 206 Concession St. will soon house a new congregation of services.
The City of Kingston is in the process of purchasing the building to give a permanent home for Addiction and Mental Health Services (AMHS) to operate a stabilization housing facility.
“I think it’s quite unique,” says Ruth Noordegraf, director of housing and social services for the city.
“So I would say we’re very proud and excited that we were able to connect those dots.”
The idea launched as a pilot project earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, providing AMHS services out of rented space in the west end of the city.
With almost $4.7 million in funding provided by the federal Rapid Housing Initiative, and a further $1 million from the city, council approved moving the project to a more permanent spot during a meeting on March 21.
Stabilization housing housing is similar to transitional housing, but with a quicker pace.
“(Stabilization housing) helps people to basically come in from either a shelter or an encampment to spend, typically, six to nine months,” says Noordegraf.