Would a tent city work in London? The Kitchener area is about to open its second

As the City of London works on a new plan to better deal with illegal encampments in the core, officials in the Forest City might look east at an idea that's making a dent in Kitchener. 

It's called A Better Tent City and was created three years ago as Kitchener faced a problem now common to London and most Canadian cities: A growing population of unhoused people, many with mental health and addiction issues, sleeping rough outside.

"There were people that needed help, but that had no place to go," said Jeff Willmer, a board member with A Better Tent City. "The shelters that were provided were meeting some people's needs, but not everyone's."

Using a free lease from a concerned landowner, donated money and volunteer labour, 50 small wooden sleeping cabins were built at 41 Ardelt Place in an industrial area about four kilometres from the core. Each cabin is about the size of a garden shed. The lot had been used as an event space, so there as already a common kitchen and bathroom area on site. 

Willmer said setting up the space cost about $300,000, none of it taxpayer money other than a grant to get power hooked up to the sleeping cabins. 

"We call it a Better Tent City because there are no tents," said Willmer. "It provides people with a place where they're not trespassing on a property where they're welcome to be. It's their very own house, a place to sleep and store their belongings." 

An on-site coordinator (now a paid position through a community grant) manages the site and health teams make regular visits. Willmer said about a third of the residents are taking part in a methadone program which allows them to stabilize on a safe supply of drugs and connect with addiction treatment. 

A Better Tent City has since moved to a new location where they have a free lease on property owned by the municipality. 

Willmer admits the Kitchener site has not come close to eliminating the city's challenges with homelessness.

"It's made a small dent," he said. "There are 50 fewer people who are living rough but the problem is still evident and still maybe growing." 

Willmer feels Kitchener's A Better Tent city has proved it's a workable model, and now one being replicated nearby. 

Waterloo Region is expected to open a similar site this week, also with 50 small sleeping cabins. It will be municipally funded and located on municipally owned land just west of the City of Waterloo at 1001 Erbs Rd. W.

Could it work in London?

London City Coun. David Ferreira's Ward 13 includes much of the downtown core. While not commenting specifically on the Better Tent City model, Ferreira said the idea of providing an approved place for encampments is something London should look into. 

"The current plan is clearly not working," he said. "I'd like to see encampments not in flood plains, I'd like to see them in a designated safe space. We have places where we say people can't have encampments and I feel like it would be appropriate to have places where you can have encampments." 

The danger of sleeping outside was highlighted this month when Olivia Clark, 31, died after the tarp she was sleeping under caught fire on a downtown sidewalk. 

Kevin Dickins is the city's deputy manager in charge of social health and development. He admits a new plan for encampments is needed, and said one is in the works. 

"We need to recognize that encampments exist and we need to best support them so that we don't have other cases like Olivia," he said. 

Chuck Lazenby is the executive director of Unity Project, a shelter in Old East Village.

She said the Better Tent City model is "certainly worth a shot" in London, but only as low-cost way to make people safer. She said it can't be considered a substitute for a comprehensive plan to permanently house those currently sleeping outside. 

"It's not a solution," she said. "It's the best we can do right now with what we have but we need to continue to work towards permanent solutions."