Take a tour of one of the tiny cabins a Hamilton group wants to use to shelter the homeless

A bed, microwave and a mini-fridge — you might be surprised by how much you can fit into eight by 10 feet.

Walking through the door of a tiny cabin set up outside Christ's Church Cathedral in downtown Hamilton Friday, all of its amenities were on display at a glance.

But what wasn't as immediately obvious was what else the building offers.

"We want people to have the autonomy and dignity to be able to have their own space," said Tom Cooper, one of the leaders of the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS).

"It's very much trying to get people into warmth — into a home, almost, of their own — as a short term measure to prevent absolute homelessness."

A big part of that autonomy is the fact that the door to the shelter comes with a lock, and only the person living there will have a key.

There won't be bed checks or a curfew. Couples and pets would be permitted, said Cooper, who is also director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction.

HATS is hoping to start with 10 of the tiny cabins before building up to 20 within the first year.

They'll each cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to building, said Cooper.

The organization offered the public a chance to tour the first of its small structures on Friday and was met with a line of curious visitors throughout the morning.

Cooper said there may be some misconceptions about the project, so it was important to invite people to come and take a look.

Sue VanEgdom, a volunteer with HATS, said the insulated buildings will be heated with electricity.

They'd be set up at a site with washroom facilities and potentially a kitchen. A manager would oversee the property and help provide employment, mental health and other supports, she said.

The major barrier to construction right now is finding the right location, according to Cooper.