Region considers extending hybrid shelter on Erbs Road to 2030, installing sanitary system

The Community and Health Services committee at the Region of Waterloo will consider extending the funding of the hybrid shelter on Erbs Road as part of the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness by 2030.

Since it opened in April 2023, the shelter, made up of 50 tiny home cabins, has supported 103 people experiencing homelessness, about 20 per cent of whom moved on to find housing.

One of the barriers the shelter faces right now is wastewater, as it was originally opened on a temporary basis under a two-year agreement with the Township of Wilmot using a sewage holding tank.

The tank currently needs to be emptied several times a week, but staff are recommending it be upgraded to a full sanitary line hooked up to the City of Waterloo’s wastewater collection system.

That project would cost about $570,000, a chunk of the $2.6 million it could cost the region to operate the shelter through 2025.

The shelter has proved to be a partial success since it opened in 2023, helping get people experiencing homelessness inside and away from encampments.

More than half of the people who have used the shelter reported positive experiences when it comes to it being a supportive environment for recovery, as the shelter supports those with mental health problems and addictions.

However, neighbours, specifically waste management and employees at the Paramedics Headquarters, have reported an increase in trespassing, scavenging, and theft, which has led to significant costs.

Nearby residents and businesses have also reported trespassing, loitering, and theft, and according to a staff report, felt that the rights of the people who live at the shelter came before the rights of residents, businesses, and their ability to make money.

Another report coming to the committee on Tuesday outlines a $345 million price tag on the region’s Plan to End Chronic Homelessness by 2030.