Chatham-Kent council is being asked to extend the lease and employee contracts at the Victoria Park Place homeless shelter in Chatham.
A report by Chatham-Kent Director of Housing Services and Operations Kim Crew is asking council for $295,000 to extend the lease and part-time contracts until August 20, 2025 because the $3.8 million tiny cabins project on Park Street in Chatham won't be ready until July 31, 2025.
The municipality said the money would be funded from the existing Victoria Park Place shelter and Homelessness Prevention Program budget.
Administration blames construction delays caused by weather and material shipment delays for being two months behind schedule.
The lease at the shelter at 185 Murray Street in Chatham expires on May 31, 2025 and the 50 tiny cabins will replace the Victoria Park Place (VPP).
The cabins are currently being delivered and will be installed this month, according to staff.
"The proposed lease extension date of August 20, 2025, provides three weeks of additional time to complete all necessary moves of furniture, equipment, and people," wrote Crew. "The purpose of this report is to request an extension on the current lease at VPP while the cabins project is completed, and to secure staffing for this extension period. The demand for emergency housing services in Chatham-Kent is showing no signs of slowing down. A service gap of approximately two months would significantly impact vulnerable, unhoused individuals."
Administration said it has explored other options to provide emergency shelter aside from the lease extension at 185 Murray Street, including the use of motel rooms across Chatham-Kent and moving to another site. However, they noted the high costs and lack of availability made those options impractical.
Twelve full-time permanent case managers hired to support the cabin project starting June 1, 2025 will staff VPP for the lease extension period and extending the ten part-time contract positions will supplement these full-time staff to provide an appropriate staffing complement for a 24/7 shelter operation.
Housing stability continues to be a concern in Chatham-Kent with staff reporting that 428 individuals experienced homelessness last year.
According to the municipality, 1,340 applicants are on the centralized waitlist for Rent-Geared to Income, a list that grew by 31 per cent in 2024.
Administration also reported 72 per cent of CK residents are homeowners and 9.7 per cent of homeowners spend 30 per cent or more of their income on housing costs.
Staff also noted 28 per cent of CK residents are tenants and 30.7 per cent of renters spend 30 per cent or more of their income on housing costs.