An emergency shelter on Murray Street has been approved by Chatham-Kent council, even though some neighbourhood residents claim it's not a good fit for the area.
The plan is to renovate the former Victoria Park public school and have more than 50 beds for people who are experiencing homelessness in the area.
The new shelter is moving ahead despite more than 25 written neighbourhood submissions opposing the move. Some in and around the neighbourhood wanted the item deferred to hold more public consultation on the shelter because they weren't properly notified or consulted.
"If a shelter is not OK for downtown, why is it OK for a residential neighbourhood?" asked Rose Lyndsman.
Others said there was little communication from the municipality on the matter and they were worried about increased crime, vandalism, and lower property values in the neighbourhood.
"We strongly believe that relocating the shelter to 185 Murray Street is a clear and unmitigated disaster that makes little sense when looking at the facts," wrote Jeff Cooper.
Some submissions expressed concerned the emergency shelter is too close to the Darul Uloom School, an Islamic school, and a retirement home.
"The building under consideration is directly behind our school and will have a major impact on the safety and security of the families and children who attend our school," claimed Darul Uloom School. "Our neighbourhood is home to a sizable visible minority, a school, daycares, a retirement home, and a Montessori. It is absurd to expect that a residential neighbourhood will be better equipped to integrate with this population."
The municipality has hosted a temporary homeless shelter at the Bradley Centre and tried to open another shelter at the former CAW Hall on Merritt Avenue after the Bradley Centre shelter closed. But that was rejected because neighbourhood residents said it was too close to Winston Churchill Elementary School.
A proposal to add more beds at Hope Haven in downtown Chatham also failed earlier this month.
St. Joseph school was also ditched as a possible homeless shelter in 2020.
The current emergency shelter beds program at the Travelodge will come to an end at the end of May.
The municipality said deferring the shelter plan to hold more public consultation would delay the process and put the homeless population in limbo because most wouldn't have any place to go after May 31, 2022.
Police Chief Gary Conn noted there will never be a consensus when it comes to an ideal location for a homeless shelter.
