Currently home to a tattoo parlour, a fitness centre and a Unitarian church, 206 Concession St. will soon house a new congregation of services.
The City of Kingston is in the process of purchasing the building to give a permanent home for Addiction and Mental Health Services (AMHS) to operate a stabilization housing facility.
“I think it’s quite unique,” says Ruth Noordegraf, director of housing and social services for the city.
“So I would say we’re very proud and excited that we were able to connect those dots.”
The idea launched as a pilot project earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, providing AMHS services out of rented space in the west end of the city.
With almost $4.7 million in funding provided by the federal Rapid Housing Initiative, and a further $1 million from the city, council approved moving the project to a more permanent spot during a meeting on March 21.
Stabilization housing housing is similar to transitional housing, but with a quicker pace.
“(Stabilization housing) helps people to basically come in from either a shelter or an encampment to spend, typically, six to nine months,” says Noordegraf.
“So it’s a shorter timeframe. They receive some of these different kind of wraparound supports, addictions and mental health supports, but also other supports.”
Global News spoke to a couple of shelter users who said that more transitional-type housing is needed.
A location on the 200 block of Concession Street already offers an overnight emergency shelter.
“I think it’s a great move that the city is making,” says Gavin O’Donnell, a maintenance supervisor at the Concession Street shelter.
Noordegraaf says that while the city is working on securing ongoing operations of the 218 Concession St. drop-in shelter until the end of 2024, once the new stabilization housing moves in a few doors down, the shelter will likely have to leave.
However, O’Donnell says a potential move would be an issue.
“The biggest challenge is just getting different organizations and funding aligned to make sure the operation can happen,” he says.
Noordegraaf says acquiring the building for stabilization housing has been finalized and it should be up and running in the next 18 months.
In the meantime, renovations will start shortly.