Questions remain as sleeping cabins program comes to an end

In October the sleeping cabins completed their biannual move, but according to Mayor of Kingston Bryan Paterson, that move will probably be the program’s last.

“I think what most council agreed is that we’re in a very different place now than we were a couple of years ago.”

Council voted 10-2 in favour of ending funding to the program, and while Kingscourt-Rideau Coun. Brandon Tozzo was one of the votes in opposition, he understands the reasoning.

“The results of it were quite mixed. Out of the 35 residents who had been part of the program, only six transitioned fully out of homelessness.”

In addition, he added, the program was quite expensive, costing a little under $2 million since it began. But despite all of this, Tozzo still believes it is more humane, and cheaper, than the alternative.

“The sleeping cabins were expensive, but what’s more expensive is people falling back into homelessness. It’s more burden on taxpayers to have an unhoused person using emergency services.”

As for what comes next for the residents and the cabins themselves, Paterson said staff are going to be reporting back to council in the spring with a transition plan.

“That transition plan will include not only what the plans are for the current residents of the sleeping cabin program, but also options and ideas for how the cabins can continue to be used.”