A Better Tent City asks Region of Waterloo for $180K annually to help cover costs

A Better Tent City in Kitchener is asking the Region of Waterloo for $180,000 annually to help cover expenses, saying they're $15,000 short each month.

The request was made by Jeff Willmer, A Better Tent City board member, during an evening public input session for the 2023 preliminary budget on Wednesday. 

"We're sustaining ourselves by drawing on the modest reserves that we developed," Willmer told CBC News.

"We have had to move a couple of times in the past. We know that there's some costs to that."

"So given the uncertainty about how long we're able to stay at [the current location], we've kept some funds on hand to assist as if we have to move, and we're now drawing on those funds to pay our staff," he adds.

He said that the reserve will last no more than a year.

A Better Tent City accommodates 50 people in 42 tiny homes on Waterloo Region District School Board land near Highway 8. 

If granted, the $180,000 would also cover the cost of one full time outreach worker. They currently have four staff members. 

Willmer said that if they're unsuccessful in getting the funding from the region, there are a couple of possible outcomes.

"One is we direct more energies toward fundraising," he said. "And if that works, we can be sustained. And if not, then we'll have to shut down."  

The project is about three years in the making and has offered inspiration to other municipalities in rethinking how they approach homelessness and housing.

Councillors discussed the proposal extensively on Wednesday and there were some words of support for the project.

"I think it's so crucial that we do what we can to support the original Better Tent City because of the work they do for the fifty-plus people that are there," Coun. Rob Deutschmann said at Wednesday's meeting.

"You know, we can give lots of money to different groups, but if we can't get volunteers, it's a hard thing," he added.

"And sometimes we're going to have to pay to hire people to do some of the work that needs to be done because volunteers get burned out." 

Council is considering the request, and it will be discussed early next month.