Safety concerns for unhoused people may jeopardize location of Hamilton tiny homes pilot: HATS

Fears that unhoused people set to live in the north end's tiny homes pilot will be in danger may put the location of the project in jeopardy, a Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Homes (HATS) board member told CBC Hamilton.

Tom Cooper said he has "very serious concerns" for the safety of unhoused people after violence at a community meeting on Monday about the pilot.

"We need to be assured they're going to be in a safe environment, and we're still trying to make that determination, particularly after last night," he said Tuesday.

"Expressing concerns is fine, but when that turns to violence, it's unacceptable and we can't have that in a civil society."

He said while HATS was already reviewing whether it had the infrastructure and finances to ensure it could move ahead with city council-approved pilot in Strachan Linear Park, the worries about unhoused people's safety have grown.

Hamilton's housing director, meanwhile, told CBC Hamilton the city still thinks the site is safe enough and added there isn't a better location for the pilot.

It's unclear what will happen if HATS says the location isn't suitable.

The pilot — a cluster of 25 tiny homes with supports — is part of the city's plan to address a growing number of encampments around Hamilton.

City data shows there are 1,985 people facing homelessness in Hamilton, up from 1,732 people last month.

Police probing assaults at event

There was a meeting at the Bennetto Community Centre on Monday evening to share information with locals about the pilot and hear their feedback.

Michelle Baird, the city's director of housing services, said aggressive behaviour started soon after the doors opened around 6:45 p.m.

"There was pushing, shoving, there was lots of verbal abuse as well," she said.

Cooper said the disruption came from a small group of people who didn't seem open to learning or having a conversation.

Baird said the meeting was cancelled some 15 minutes later.

Hamilton Police Service spokesperson Jackie Penman said in an email the service is aware of two separate assaults at the event and are investigating.

"One was brought to our attention last night but the complainant did not wish to move forward with the investigation," she said Tuesday. "The other instance was shared on social media and we proactively reached out to the individual."

Cooper said he saw a group heckle someone they thought was unhoused.

"He actually didn't end up being a person who was homeless ... people just started yelling at him out of the blue and it was really concerning," he said.

Area residents don't feel heard

Mayor Andrea Horwath said on X, formerly known as Twitter, she was "extremely disappointed" to hear the meeting was cancelled.

"I was looking forward to hearing from Hamiltonians on this tough issue," she said.

"We need to be able to discuss hard topics without threats and violence. Thank you to those who attended to calmly share their point of view."

Helena Ferreira, a north-end resident who attended the event, told CBC Hamilton she wants the pilot in a different location.

Ferreira said she and others with concerns about the pilot are not being heard and weren't properly consulted. She said she and others have also feared for their safety.

It's unclear if there will be a future meeting. Cooper said they're reviewing smaller group meetings that could be done in a more respectful way.

Baird said the city will review the meeting to see what lessons can be learned to inform consultations moving forward and to ensure public safety.

Encampment residents facing violence: advocate

James Lambert, a volunteer with the Hamilton Encampment Support Network, said people living in an encampment near the pilot's location are already facing violence.

He said some unhoused people have complained about being yelled at or having throwing rocks and projectiles hurled at them.

He added the cancelled event speaks to how "vitriolic" the issue has become and how stigmatized people in encampments are.

Ferreira said the residents in the area have been kind to the encampment residents, sometimes bringing them food or supplies.

Baird said the city hasn't heard the unhoused people there complain about their safety.

Cooper mentioned how HATS looked at other sites like Cathedral Park and the Barton-Tiffany lands as spots for the pilot, but Baird said those locations and other potential spots all have their own set of problems.

Lambert said the pilot project needs to improve and unhoused people should have more of a say about next steps.