Hamilton reports success at Tiffany-Barton shelter site amid mismanagement concerns

Project mismanagement aside, Hamilton city staff say they’ve received mostly positive reviews and successful transitions from the Tiffany-Barton tiny shelter site.

During the General Issues Committee meeting today, officials presented an evaluation of the program’s progress.

Support service representatives say they conducted surveys and found that a majority of people living in the cabins say they feel safe, the unit’s amenities and services have met their needs and some have found better accommodations.

“Over 15 per cent of the people who leave Tiffany Barton are leaving because they’ve found permanent housing — that’s better than what we’re seeing within our usual shelter system. So we do have success here,” said Michelle Baird, Hamilton’s housing services director.

Baird says the 40 cabin site that can house up to 80 people has remained mostly occupied as city officials confirm that roughly 2,000 people in Hamilton are still experiencing homelessness. She adds that as of today, about 196 people have expressed interest in securing a cabin.

The housing services director did reiterate the site is expected to be operational for up to three years. She says housing services is working on a strategy to transition people to places with secure beds, while efforts to boost housing supply continue.

“All those pieces together, we’re working on a plan right now within housing services, with respect to how that transformed system will allow us to address those different pieces, as well as the work that’s happening in the men’s system. So I suspect you’ll get a plan back before the end of the year with respect to what that could look like,” said Baird.

The latest review comes right after the city’s auditor general released a report that said the $7.9 million project was poorly planned, lacked financial oversight and had weak contractual terms.

A review on the financial planning of the Tiffany-Barton shelter site will be discussed at city hall tomorrow.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton auditor blasts Barton-Tiffany shelter project as costs balloon from $2.8M to nearly $8M