Prominent housing advocate Abe Oudshoorn is questioning city hall’s decision to choose a private company, rather than a local non-profit, to operate a micro-shelter community for homeless Londoners on Cheese Factory Road. “It just doesn’t make sense, to me, to approach it as a security company operating this type of service. These are folks with complex needs, and you need to have expert staff who are there to support them to have the best outcomes,” Oudshoorn told CTV News. In the fall, Mayor Josh Morgan used strong mayor powers to direct Civic Administration to design and create a temporary 60 micro-shelter community by the end of this year. A progress report to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) explains that the opening date for the site will be pushed to January because of a delay delivering the micro-shelters. After a competitive bidding process, Xpera was chosen to operate the site. The company’s website explains, “Xpera is Canada’s largest national investigation and risk mitigation firm, providing service for over 40 years.” On Wednesday, Morgan expressed confidence in the selection because the company has experience temporarily housing remote communities evacuated from natural disasters. He explained that Xpera’s staff are trained in “trauma-informed response, crisis management, first aid, cultural sensitivity training. They are a great company that is going to do a great job on the site.” CTV News has learned that city staff have invited local frontline agencies to a meeting at the Carling Heights Optimists’ Community Centre in two weeks to discuss how they can support the people who will live in the micro-shelter project. “The organizations are now being brought in at the last minute to try to provide that quality of service, rather than these organizations who are experts in the area running it in the first place,” Oudshoorn said. The temporary homeless facility has a budget of up to $7 million and will operate until April 2027. Oudshoorn emphasizes that when local non-profits provide services, they can prioritize human outcomes. “We trust them to do the work in a way that’s kind, and to use the resources in a really effective way. They’re not there to make money. They’re there to help the community,” he said. The temporary shelter community will be located on a property bounded by Cheese Factory Road and Highway 401. Sixty shelters have been purchased from Stoney Creek-based manufacturer Fero International Inc. at a cost of $1.26 million. The micro-shelters will be positioned in small clusters around a centralized group of larger trailers that will provide services including washrooms/showers, laundry, kitchen/dining, programming space, and an office. Existing contracts with local companies have been expanded to include preparing the land, paving an entrance, and installing utilities. The progress report will be considered at the SPPC meeting on Dec. 9.
