Citizen-led tiny home coalition still without Hamilton location after city backs away from latest idea

A grassroots coalition in Hamilton has amassed enough money, volunteers and locally made cabins to help shelter over a dozen people experiencing homelessness right now, says Coun. Ted McMeekin.

What the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) is still missing is a location to set up outdoor transitional housing for 25 people — despite searching for three years and a recent push from McMeekin to see the project through.  

A new motion from the Flamborough councillor at a general issues committee meeting Wednesday proposed HATS use city-owned land next to the Red Hill Valley Parkway — recently floated by staff — but it didn't go through.

McMeekin, who's long advocated for the citizen-led project, called the lack of action from the city to date "embarrassing." 

"Not two days go by without someone saying what the hell is happening with HATS?" he said. 

"I'm looking for a little bit of giddy up here."

 St. Matthew's House has also agreed to run the site's services, McMeekin said. 

HATS is a coalition of community groups including the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction(HRPR). Karl Andrus, executive director of HRPR, urged councillors to support the HATS proposal, as people continue to died from causes linked to homelessness.

"Despite this, it is always an inappropriate site," Andrus said. "There is no appropriate site when it comes to community pushback."  

Red Hill Valley site too contaminated, city says

Two people who live in the area of the Red Hill Valley Parkway location told councillors they only heard about the proposal through word of mouth and don't support the location.

Angela Burns, with the Parkview East Neighbourhood Association, said it was far from transit, could negatively impact the natural environment and could result in conflicts between those living in the tiny homes and other residents.

Brody Riske, who also lives nearby, said he was concerned about an increase in crime, as well as the impact on property values. 

Staff, fielding questions from councillors, said the proposed area was formerly a landfill and actually too contaminated for people to live on without provincial approval. 

HATS would need to find somewhere else, said Grace Mater, general manager of healthy and safe communities.

McMeekin noted HATS has considered 19 different locations — both publicly and privately owned — but none have worked out. Those sites include:

• The former Sir John A. Macdonald Second School property that has sat vacant for a decade.
• Barton-Tiffany lands, which staff initially said was not possible because it was contaminated, but is now being used for Hamilton's first outdoor shelter. 
• Strachan Linear Park where HATS faced intense community opposition and ended up determining there wasn't enough space. 

Council divided on how to move forward

Mater said staff didn't have the capacity to deliver more options until later this spring as they're also in the process of opening the city's first outdoor shelter and other housing initiatives.

Her department was already planning to report back on possible HATS locations in the second quarter of 2025. 

HATS organizer Dan Bednis said the group was disappointed at the timeline as they're trying to move the project forward.

"We're not aligned with same sense of urgency and it appears city staff are influencing the priorities being set," Bednis said. 

Coun. Matt Francis (Ward 5) voiced his concern that councillors weren't being consulted enough on the location. He added to the motion that staff would have to get approval from the ward councillor before moving forward with a site suggestion. 

This addition was opposed by a number of councillors, including Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2), and defeated in a 7-7 tie.

"It doesn't make any sense to me at all," said Kroetsch. "It is politicizing something that every time it's been politicized has caused it to fail."

"It's incredibly frustrating to see this level of division among council, to see ["not in my backyard"] dominating the conversation,'" said Andrus afterwards. 

He added that city staff's assertion the Red Hill Valley Parkway site wouldn't work came as a complete surprise and he questioned why they couldn't find a way forward.