A Better Place to Call Home
A door that locks. A bed all to yourself. A place to live with a pet. For some residents of A Better Tent City, it is the first time they have ever had any of these things. And in fact, for the dozens of people living in the cabins and tents located at a former industrial site in Kitchener, it has become much more than just housing — it has become home.
For several years, many in Waterloo Region have been working on an alternative to shelters for people experiencing homelessness, particularly amid skyrocketing rent and home prices. But the pandemic, which requires social distancing, created a sense of urgency. A number of individuals and community groups came together and created A Better Tent City as a response to this need.
WRCF provided a $75,000 grant to the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region, a charitable partner and active sponsor of A Better Tent City, through the Emergency Community Support Fund to augment the great work that was already being done.
“WRCF fully funded our request. And that just blew us away,” said Laura Hamilton, a board member with the Social Development Centre. “We just felt very supported and encouraged. That allowed us to get going on purchasing cabins.”
Currently there are close to 30 colourful, insulated 8 x 10 cabins located on the site of Lot 42, as well as several tents located inside the building on the site. Amenities include garbage and recycling bins, showers and laundry units, and an onsite kitchen.
When new residents first arrive, they are greeted by Nadine Green, a loving onsite coordinator who lives in one of the cabins and helps keep the community calm and organized. After their orientation, one of the first things residents do is sleep.
“If you go to sleep at night with the knowledge that you could be woken up at any minute and asked to move, that’s hard. But if you can close the door and know that you are safe and warm, that’s huge,” says Hamilton. “And after catching up on their sleep, and a few good meals, people begin to feel a sense of optimism and camaraderie.”
The residents receive visits from case workers and health care workers, and receive support for drug addictions. There is now a daily onsite methadone treatment program that includes a weekly Zoom visit by a local doctor, and pharmacists who assist daily with the methadone delivery. Hamilton runs a weekly “methadone brunch” on Saturday and Sunday mornings for all residents that includes heartwarming food and creates an opportunity to normalize addictions treatment.
“The program has grown, and we now have over a third of our residents active in the program, and three are now completely off fentanyl.” Others have been stabilized and are able to take day jobs on their path to recovery.
Despite the success of A Better Tent City, its future is uncertain. Lot 42 has been sold, and residents must relocate by the end of June. But Hamilton remains confident the community will find a new place to call home.
“We are changing people’s lives for the better, and there is tremendous community support for this initiative so I’m optimistic that something good will happen and we will find a place to be.”
In the meantime, they are looking for mental health practitioners who might be able to support residents. They are also still collecting donations of funds and items. To make an online donation, send an e-transfer to sdcwr@waterlooregion.org and indicate this is for “ABTC.” Also, please include your name and address in the comments section to receive a charitable receipt. To donate items, please fill out this online form.
Note: This story was written prior to Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation and Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation unifying to become Waterloo Region Community Foundation. Although the story was created by KWCF, we have updated the organization name to WRCF throughout the story.