A month and a half after welcoming its first residents, Mayor Josh Morgan is touting early successes at the micro-modular shelter (MMS) for homeless Londoners on Cheese Factory Road. “The micro-modular shelter is working,” Morgan told CTV News. “People are finding indoor spaces. Certainly, there are still people outdoors, but [there’s] a big decline in the numbers of both encampments and people living unsheltered through the winter.” Last fall, London City Council approved $7 million to construct and operate the 60 unit community (50 single-occupancy and 10 double-occupancy) that will house up to 70 people until April 2027. Its first residents moved in at the beginning of February. The municipality’s Coordinated Informed Response (CIR) Team, who offer support to the unhoused, enforce encampment policies, and respond to the concerns of businesses, has witnessed the transformation of several people who moved into the MMS. “An incredible change, we visibly see it in folks,” said Debbie Kramers, CIR manager. “We’re now visiting the MMS, going there regularly, and the conversation has changed. It’s about their future and it’s about housing. They’re actually having conversations with my team about what [life] looks like next.” Kramers also points to the impact that the MMS has had on Watson Street Park. A visit by CTV News found only a single encampment in the riverside park, and it appeared to have been abandoned. “Some of that is because of the harsh winter we’ve just experienced,” explained Kramers. “But we have a large number of individuals who were referred [to the MMS] through coordinated access that used to be residing in Watson Street Park. I think that number is at 25.” The mayor emphasizes that residents are receiving a wide variety of support at the remote location south of Highway 401. “They’re getting support from Ontario Works, ODSP, they’re getting housing stability support,” said Morgan. “They’re getting medical support, and they’re being put on a pathway into housing.” A new report to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) reveals that just three people have left the community, one for more appropriate medical care, and two for breaching policies. There was a small fire inside a cabin earlier this month, but no one was injured and the unit is being repaired. Morgan adds that the remote location hasn’t been an issue thus far. “There were a number of individuals on the first day, almost all of them, who took us up on the transportation option to [travel] to other places in the city. By the end of the first week, just one or two took us up on that. They realize that there are services [at the MMS] and they’re enjoying their time there,” he said. Kramers says many people were willing to leave their encampments and try living at the MMS because it offers units for couples and they can keep their pets. Currently, nine dogs and two cats are part of the community and receive regular visits and veterinary services from London Animal Care and Control. “That’s a huge barrier [at other shelters] and why you see such a high number of unsheltered folks living outside,” Kramers added. Removing dozens of individuals from encampments has freed time and resources for CIR teams to address some of their other responsibilities involving the homelessness crisis. “Now we can actually see people leave the situation that they’re in and have hope. And seeing them physically move into something that is safe and supportive and actually will give them, at least a chance, at a future,” he said. “I think it’s too early to put a definitive report together on this because it’s only been a few weeks,” Morgan admitted. “But we’re going to carefully monitor this. If this is something that is successful and working, we’re going to have to figure out what to do next. And that will probably be in partnership with the province.” A quarterly update report will be considered at the SPPC meeting on March 24, 2026.
