Officials with Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes say transitional housing planned on the property of the former Peterborough Humane Society may not be ready until after winter arrives this year.
In late April Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) announced it had purchased the Lansdowne Street East property and would be leasing it to PATH over three years to create a tiny homes community to help those experiencing homelessness.
PATH plans to add 15 sleeping cabins (or tiny homes) behind the existing building with a goal of expanding to 30 homes by the end of 2024. The eight-foot-by-12-foot homes come equipped with a bed, a nightstand and electrical outlets. PATH says the former humane society building would offer washroom, kitchen and shower facilities.
However, PATH board director Margaret Slavin says the group is at a “crossroads” to have the 15 homes ready for the coming winter. A “best-case scenario” for a move-in would be on Dec. 1, she said.
“We’re just at a tight moment right now,” she told Global News on Monday.
The logistical challenges include receiving approval from the city for several technical and suitability studies along with a public consultation process.
Keith Dalton, PATH’s land acquisition working group lead, says the processes simply take time to complete.
“It’s not unusual, but it is a lengthy process that every developer faces,” he said. “We’re hoping that we’ll get a quick approval from council about this, but that is not a given either.”
Dalton says the earliest city council could review PATH’s application is in late October — and they’re hoping for a different outcome than their first pitch.
In December 2022 city council by an 8-3 vote turned down PATH’s proposal for 10 tiny homes on private, vacant land at the former United Canadian Malt property at Park and Lansdowne streets. The vote came after more than 200 people rallied in late November in support of the project.
PATH was asked to find other potential locations and present a new plan in 2023.
“In order to make it feasible to get cabins on the ground — because that’s really the priority — there’s some minimum standard that we’d have to achieve in order to comply with the site plan that we’re submitting to the city,” said Dalton.
Funding is also crucial and PATH still requires at least $300,000 to cover some of the renovation costs, said Slavin.
“The other one (issue) is realizing that maybe we don’t have enough money in the bank for everything that we need to do,” she said.
Bolstering PATH’s case is a survey it conducted that found 85 per cent of unhoused individuals in Peterborough would want to move into a tiny home on Lansdowne Street East. According to the city, by late December 2022, there were 314 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness.
Among them is Michael Nicholson, who says he has been experiencing homelessness for over a decade. For the past few months, he has been staying at the encampment on Wolfe Street, which has multiple tents in the parking lot of the city’s emergency overflow shelter.
He says he’s “worried all the time” about his situation, more so as winter approaches.
“If you’re not prepared and you fall asleep ’cause you’re not being prepared properly, you can freeze to death,” he said.
The City of Peterborough provides approximately 106 shelter beds for families, youth and adults. For Nicholson, he says he “can’t begin to imagine” the feeling of having a proper roof over his head — even if it means making some life changes.
“I’ve thought it over. At 62 years old, I’m willing to try almost anything,” he said.
Slavin notes the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough will determine the criteria for individuals to be accepted into a tiny home.
Donations to PATH’s project can be made via the organization’s website.
— with files from Germain Ma, Global News Peterborough
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