Conestoga huts back up for discussion as homeless shelters reach capacity
The idea was rejected by city council two-and-a-half years ago, but an agency addressing street level homelessness said Conestoga huts and tiny houses need to be given an opportunity in London.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution when moving from homelessness to permanent housing, but some people do require those stepping stones,” said Sarah Campbell, executive director at Ark Aid Street Mission.
A pilot project is taking shape behind the agency’s building on Dundas Street.
An employee constructed a Conestoga hut to live in alongside two yet-to-be occupied tiny homes designed and built by London developer Andy Spriet.
Inside a tiny house located behind Ark Aid Street Mission in London, Ont. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)“We hope to continue that research and share information with the city as we go,” explained Campbell. “We’re asking for their permission to do it, and of course we need community support dollars because we are not funded for this.”
From the municipality’s perspective, questions about the pilot project will likely focus on the building code, fire safety, zoning and access to social services.
In February 2020, on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, Councillor Michael van Holst and Councillor Shawn Lewis called for a small pilot project of Conestoga huts for Londoners living unsheltered.
However, city council rejected the proposal after civic administration recommended focusing on more permanent solutions to homelessness.
Since then, the number of Londoners experiencing homelessness has swelled to almost 1,900, almost a third completely unsheltered.
Inside a tiny house located behind Ark Aid Street Mission in London, Ont. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)The city’s 300 shelter spaces routinely fill to capacity — unable to meet demand.
Lewis remains optimistic that tiny houses could offer another option to the unsheltered.
“I hope that when this sort of pilot is complete, the results are shared with us so we can consider this going forward,” Lewis said.
“We’re always willing to partner agencies in the right situation. We have spoken with Ark Aid and know they are sort of operating their pilot currently,” Director of Housing Security Craig Cooper told city council earlier this week.
Ark Aid Street Mission has not set a date to launch the pilot project but intends to have the two tiny homes occupied as soon as possible.
Lewis said much has changed since the pandemic exacerbated the housing crisis.
“There’s a willingness again to try something that even three years ago people weren’t willing to try,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.