Timmins wants feedback on new initiative to house people without homes

Timmins has received funding from the province to create emergency housing to allow them to close encampments.

The province is giving $3.5 million to Timmins to come up with a solution to homeless encampments.

The plan includes pinpointing a location to base modular structures as temporary housing alternatives to encampments. The city has identified four municipally owned locations.

Living Space A special city council meeting in Timmins on Wednesday evening focused on the future of the Living Space homeless shelter and a report highlighting issues that need to be resolved. (File)

“When we start talking about where we’re going to put encampments (a big question) is do we have the authority to grab you by the scruff of your neck, put you in a car and drive you two kilometres over and say, hey, this is your new place to live?” said Coun. Cory Robin

“So we got to be careful about that.”

A public consultation period will run Feb. 24-March 14. The city plans to upload project details to its website and residents can fill out a survey.

Once the matter is discussed at the Cochrane District Services Board meeting, tomorrow, the city said it will reveal the locations, expected on Monday.

Timmins homeless Timmins is to receive $3.5 million to come up with a solution to address homeless encampments. (File photo)

“As a city councillor sitting at this table and making sure this project does go forward … I think is very important that it’s done at this table and not at the DSSAB table, where it’s … individuals from other communities that are making decisions for us,” Robin said.

The city said it’s committed to a transparent community engagement process and is currently assessing three options. One of those includes expanding the Living Space shelter and relocating it.

Relocating emergency shelter

“From the public, you know, there is an interest in exploring the relocation of the current location of our low-barrier emergency shelter,” said Mayor Michelle Boileau.

“If there’s a possibility of doing that with this initiative, I believe that it merits that and that we take a look at it.”

“We just did this whole exercise with the Heart Hub about what can we do about encampments,” Robin said.

“What can we do about homeless people? What can we do about treating people? And there was a big community uprising against the location of it --I still think it’s a great location.”

The modular housing initiative is called H.O.P.E. which is an acronym for Housing, Outreach, Protection and Engagement.

But it’s also providing hope for those who need a place to call home.