The Barton Street Temporary Housing Model

The Hamiltonian reached out to the city to inquire about the Barton Tiffany Shelter. Enjoy our chat with Michelle Baird, Director, Housing Services Division, City of Hamilton.

The Barton project originated from a mayoral directive in 2024, and the Mayor has since called for a “broader visioning exercise” for the site. As you assess that direction, how is your department weighing investment in temporary shelter models against permanent supportive housing, and is one of the key lessons learned that greater emphasis should be placed on permanent solutions over time-limited shelter interventions?

The Temporary Barton Tiffany Shelter (TBTS) was implemented as an urgent, time-limited response to address immediate health and safety risks associated with encampments, particularly for vulnerable individuals who could not access traditional shelter options. Couples, individuals with pets, and others who needed urgent supports were prioritized where they would otherwise have to make a difficult decision to enter into a shelter. The City acted with urgency and compassion to support people living unsheltered who were facing heightened risks.

While TBTS has provided short-term stability and supported housing transitions for people who were previously living unsheltered, long-term progress depends on sustained investment in permanent affordable and supportive housing, alongside a broader continuum of supports. The City is committed to providing safe, supportive and accessible shelter options for residents experiencing homelessness, and to addressing homelessness with urgency, compassion and fiscal responsibility.

The City is committed to working together with other levels of government, both the Provincial and Federal governments, to address the homelessness, mental health and addiction crises. We are actively seeking eligible Provincial and Federal funding to offset capital costs and reduce pressure on municipal taxpayers.

Within the homelessness system, housing-focused emergency shelter plays a critical role in providing immediate safety and access to services for unhoused community members. Emergency shelters are one type of support, while permanent housing support long-term stability. The TBTS evaluation reinforces the importance of continuing to strengthen pathways to permanent housing while ensuring emergency responses remain available, humane and responsive to community needs.

The Barton Street model has been described as “fantastic", but the site itself as unsuitable long term. Why was this initiative designed as a stand-alone project rather than integrated from the outset into a permanent supportive housing pipeline with clearly defined exit pathways and timelines?

The TBTS project was intentionally designed as a temporary emergency response to the growing crisis of unsheltered homelessness, with a focus on providing immediate safety and support to vulnerable residents, a challenge being experienced not only in Hamilton but across Ontario and Canada. It was initiated under a mayoral directive and approved by Council as part of a broader expansion of emergency shelter capacity, alongside 192 additional temporary shelter beds across the system, to support vulnerable individuals who were otherwise unable to access the existing shelter system, including couples and people with pets. The City continues to invest in affordable and supportive housing and expanding shelter supports, however, emergency shelter(s) continue to play a vital role in order to address immediate needs.

At the time of development, the priority was rapid response, reflecting the City’s commitment to acting with urgency and compassion. Housing-focused supports were embedded on-site from the outset, including case management, health services, and connections to housing resources, to support continuity of care for residents. Lessons learned from the TBTS, both operationally and from a system-planning perspective, will inform how future responses can be more closely aligned with permanent housing pathways, while maintaining a focus on dignity for people experiencing homelessness.

From a system-planning perspective, does your department believe there should continue to be a role for temporary shelter models like Barton, particularly when cost overruns and ongoing operating expenses risk crowding out investment in permanent supportive housing with longer-term impact?

From a system-planning perspective, the City is working to prioritize strengthening pathways to permanent affordable and supportive housing as the foundation for addressing homelessness over the long term. At the same time, the City is focused on continuing to evolve a homelessness response that is responsive and flexible, capable of meeting the needs of vulnerable individuals and unhoused community members at different points in time and adapting to changing conditions within the system.

While supportive housing operational funding has historically been a provincial responsibility, the City of Hamilton has increased its municipal investment in recent years to advance supportive housing operations, while also enhancing intensive case management and rapid rehousing programs, and expanding prevention and diversion efforts, balancing fiscal responsibility with compassion and care.

It is important to note that the City does not approach emergency and permanent housing responses as an either-or choice. Instead, decisions are guided by data, evidence and best practices, with a focus on building a coordinated, housing-focused system where emergency responses are clearly defined in purpose and aligned with long-term housing goals.

As the department lead responsible for decommissioning the Barton site, what is your concrete exit plan for residents and for the property itself, and how will you ensure continuity of care, service access, and housing outcomes as the cabins are phased out in 2027?

The TBTS is temporary by design, and the City is beginning work on a phased approach to decommissioning the site and transitioning housing and homelessness supports, consistent with Council direction. Initial details will be brought forward to Council in late 2026.

This work will be undertaken collaboratively across City departments and with community partners, with a focus on continuity of services and minimizing disruption for residents, particularly vulnerable individuals who rely on stable access to supports. The City’s approach will be guided by system planning and its commitment to providing safe, supportive and accessible options for people experiencing homelessness, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the City’s housing and homelessness response.

Future considerations for the site will be addressed through Council reporting and broader planning processes.

Thank-you Ms. Baird for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian.