Hamilton's delayed outdoor shelter 'crushingly disappointing,' says advocate, as a few people move in

Nearly three months after Hamilton's first outdoor shelter was originally supposed to open and shield 80 people from the elements this winter, "a few" people have moved in. 

Good Shepherd spokesperson Dave Butler said they moved in last week but didn't know exactly how many. Good Shepherd is running the site for the city. He directed CBC Hamilton to the city for more information. 

The city's website tracking the project was last updated Jan. 29 and says installing electrical connections, delivering cabins and other buildings, and opening the site is "ongoing." The city hasn't released a communication update to council since Jan. 13.

The city said late last year the project wouldn't meet its December deadline but that it would be operational by late January. Since then, the city has seen several waves of temperature drops and big snowfalls. 

The delayed project is "crushingly disappointing," said Kim Ritchie, a volunteer with the Substance Overdose Prevention and Education Network (SOPEN), who does outreach with encampment residents — some of whom could be a good fit to live at the outdoor shelter.

It's been a harsh winter, she noted, and people living in tents risk frostbite and death.

"This was a mess up and particularly harmful this time of year," Ritchie said. "People want these, and we need them, even if it is outdoors." 

City faced several challenges

The city has shared few details in recent weeks about when people will be moving into the tiny shelters. 

"Every effort is being made to move individuals into the temporary outdoor shelter units as quickly as feasible," said city spokesperson Antonella Giancarlo in an email Feb. 19 to CBC Hamilton. 

She noted the winter weather was "in full force" indicating it could be holding up work.

Giancarlo was responding to questions from CBC Hamilton first sent six days earlier and didn't directly answer when the shelter would be in use or if it was already being used by some. 

The city also didn't answer CBC Hamilton's additional questions Monday. Mayor Andrea Horwath said in a statement that outreach workers are prioritizing referring encampment residents to the outdoor shelter and confirmed some have moved in.

"The transition to the shelter spaces is being handled with compassion and care; and ensuring privacy and maintaining dignity remain their priority," said said. "The process of welcoming people will take some time to ensure we are doing it well."

The city has struggled to get the outdoor shelter on the Barton-Tiffany lands up and running. 

After a push from Horwath to have the shelter built quickly, council approved it in September with a budget of $7 million to be opened by early December. It's designed for couples and people with pets who aren't allowed to stay together in indoor shelters. 

But the Ministry of Labour halted the work in November over a complaint related to worker safety and not meeting all provincial requirements.

Questions raised about tiny homes

Work resumed in December, but city staff said opening would be delayed until mid-January as the tiny homes would be delivered later than expected. The city had ordered the homes from a new company called MicroShelters Inc.

Although registered to an address in Brantford, Ont., MicroShelters ordered the shelters from an American company that bought them from China, the city later learned. They city paid about $35,000 per unit.

Local companies have come forward in recent months to say they could've supplied the shelters on time and under budget, but despite reaching out the city, weren't selected for the contract.

The way the project played out was avoidable, if city staff had been open to working more closely with advocacy groups and started it sooner, Ritchie said.

SOPEN and others had called for a sanctioned encampment site back in 2023, which was turned down by city staff, only to be endorsed by the mayor a year later. 

"They're running around like chickens with their heads cut off," Ritchie said. "It's frustrating for advocates."