Tiny home project in downtown Hamilton park cancelled due to costs, community concerns

A controversial plan to set up tiny homes at Strachan Linear Park for people experiencing homelessness has been cancelled. 

The Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) announced Friday it would not be building the cabins at the north end site near Bayfront Park. 

"We're heartbroken there will be 20 more people who won't have the safety and stability of warmth and shelter this winter," HATS executive director Tom Cooper said in an interview.

"But there were too many challenges with the site and so it wouldn't have been the responsible thing to move forward."

HATS found it wouldn't have space to set up as many shelters as it had initially planned and buying an accessible, modular unit with showers, washrooms and a kitchen was too expensive, estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, said Cooper. 

There was also loud opposition from the community. Some residents previously told CBC Hamilton they were concerned about the site's proximity to a nearby school, as well as concerns about safety and security. They also weren't consulted until after the site had been chosen by HATS and the city. 

Cooper said HATS has learned some lessons throughout the process, and next time will consult with the community "up front." Following one public meeting being cancelled due to safety concerns, HATS met with residents one on one to share their vision including 24 hour security and staffing.

It will be looking for a new location for next year that perhaps has already built washrooms on-site to help save on costs, Cooper said. 

The city says it will continue to work with HATS and supports its decision to not proceed with the Strachan Linear Park site. No other site has been proposed at this time, and the city is currently focusing on implementing its encampment protocols, improving its shelter system and providing affordable housing options, it said in a statement.

As winter approaches, the city says it will be expanding daytime drop-in programs, recreation and library hours and overnight warming spaces. 

Mayor Andrea Horwath said, in a statement sent by email, that "City staff will be working hard to ensure that unhoused Hamiltonians have additional low-barrier support throughout the winter months and in the continued implementation of city encampment protocols."

The mayor said " This has been a difficult and contentious issue, and I thank Councillor Cameron Kroetsch for his leadership in exploring a pilot site in his ward. I believe that the solution to homelessness is the availability of housing options that meet peoples' needs, including affordability, accessibility and supports that address the root causes of poverty." 

Horwath added that she would "continue to listen to the public, advocate to other levels of government and work with my Council colleagues to navigate these complex issues in the best interest of the people of Hamilton."