Kitchener’s A Better Tent City celebrates five years

What began as a pilot project has become an example of how to help homeless people get off the streets permanently.

A Better Tent City (ABTC) is celebrating five years in operation, providing tiny homes as people look to transition away from homelessness.

The initiative was the brain child of Ron Doyle who wanted to build tiny homes on Lot 42, an event space that he owned. It began with 12 tiny homes but has since expanded to 42 cabins on Ardelt Avenue in Kitchener. There are now around 50 permanent residents with anywhere between 20 and 30 visitors a night.

 Jeff Willmer, ABTC co-founder, told 570 NewRadio that over the years, the area has become more than just a collection of shelters to its residents.

“They have told us they feel much, much safer living in tiny homes at ABTC than when they used to be living rough. And, it’s primarily because of the family, the safety and the community they have formed supporting each other.”

Willmer said it began as a grassroots effort and even after all this time ABTC remains just that.

“It’s only in the last year-and-half that we actually have partial funding from the regional municipality. What I’d like to help people to understand is that we are largely a grassroots community initiative,” he said.

The region provides around one-third of ABTC’s operating funding, Willmer explained. The remainder is made up through the residents paying a shelter allowance along with community donations.

It’s because of funding Willmer said ABTC hasn’t expanded, despite a spike in demand for shelter space. He said ABTC was used as a model for the Erbs Street tiny homes project, and there are discussions happening with the region, but it’s too early to comment on those.

Willmer was asked what’s next for ABTC. He said they want to help people with addiction issues as part of their homeless outreach.

“After people have got the stability and dignity of a place of their own, are they ways that we can help people take that courageous step to go to rehabilitation and is there something we can do to help with recovery after they complete rehabilitation? So, I think that’s what we’re looking at now, is what can we do in terms of helping people go to rehab and then stay in recovery.”