Public invited to learn more on Kingston’s Sleeping Cabins program
Chrystal Wilson, Executive Director of Our Livable Solutions (OLS), is providing two information sessions for the public to learn more about the Sleeping Cabin Program, supported by the City of Kingston, this Thursday and Friday.
In a media release, the City of Kingston provided the following details and said that all are welcome to attend:
- A virtual session will be held over Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. Registration is required to attend.
- An in-person come-and-go event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 in Reddendale Hall, Centre 70 Arena, 100 Days Rd. No registration is necessary and refreshments will be provided. An elevator and accessible washroom are available.
Both sessions will include an overview of the program and an opportunity to have questions answered, according to the release.
“We welcome all residents to these information sessions with the goal of raising awareness of what this program is and how it assists individuals in Kingston who are experiencing homelessness,” Wilson stated. “The sleeping cabin program has demonstrated much success and we look forward to sharing the stories behind that with the larger community.”
The sleeping cabin program was established in 2022, with the support of Kingston City Council, Our Livable Solutions, and community partners. The City said that, since its inception, the sleeping cabin program has demonstrated successes and has also received support from residents in Portsmouth and Lakeside districts.
The last time the Sleeping Cabins Project was discussed at Council was in August 2022, when Council directed City staff to complete a community engagement process regarding two possible permanent sites for the project — Rideau Marina and Rodden Park. At that time, a permanent location for the sleeping cabins was expected to be ready by late 2023, according to the City.
There is no record that public engagement ever took place regarding the possible permanent locations of the cabins. On the part of OLS, Wilson confirmed public engagement on the possible permanent locations has not occurred.
Kingstonist reached out to the City to confirm no public engagement took place regarding those locations, if so, why those sessions didn’t occur, and if the possible permanent locations still remain options for the cabins if the public engagement session never took place. The following is a statement from the City of Kingston’s Housing and Social Services department on the matter, received on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023:
“With respect to locations for the sleeping cabin program, as location options are considered going forward the City would provide an opportunity for residents to further engage at that time. City Staff began engagement on locations as directed by Council in August 2022, including virtual engagement sessions which were planned and advertised; however due to the volume of inquiries received, it was decided that the online engagement events would be postponed to ensure we may adequately provide answers to the questions we have received. In addition to this, an online survey was open in Sept 2022 for 3 weeks, where the public shared their ideas on proposed locations and how to make these locations safe and supportive for those who utilize the cabins and the neighbours that surround them.
We will be sharing the final engagement report on the survey with Council in the near future. The City continues to explore both shorter and longer-term options for the sleeping cabin project but felt it important to update Council on the information gathered to date. At present, the Sleeping Cabins remain at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. In terms of the plan for the upcoming season, we are looking at options for the summer season. We look forward to returning to Council with this information in the next month for their direction on next steps.”
As of February 2023, the sleeping cabins remain in Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.