38 Cowdy Street

Adelaide Street Shelter

Since 2023, the property at 38 Cowdy Street (Adelaide Street Shelter) has operated as an emergency shelter and has provided critically needed accommodations to people facing homelessness. The shelter beds and homelessness services provided by Lionhearts Inc. at this location remain much needed in the community and when the shelter operations wind down and eventually cease, the beds and services provided at this site will need to be accommodated elsewhere in the community.

Shelter Operations

Currently, Adelaide Street Shelter has 55 shelter beds available each evening.

Adelaide Street Shelter offers coed shelter for adults over the ageContinue reading

Adelaide Street Shelter

Shelter Operations

Currently, Adelaide Street Shelter has 55 shelter beds available each evening.

Adelaide Street Shelter offers coed shelter for adults over the age of 25, couples are welcome, and storage and meals are provided on site. The shelter currently operates 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. This includes access to washrooms, meals and scheduled programming and activities, including 3 computers. Initially these day services were only offered on weekends and statutory holidays, but were expanded on May 2, 2025 to include daily on-site supports with a focus on Prevention Diversion, Street Outreach and Day Services programming such as independent living skills.

Wind Down and Relocation of Services

The City has acquired property to facilitate to wind down shelter operations at 38 Cowdy Street.

The first site the City has acquired for this purpose is 924 Sydenham Road. When emergency shelter services open at this new location, the shelter beds offered at 38 Cowdy site will be reduced by approximately half.

On Sept. 7, Council delegated authority to staff to execute and submit conditional offers for the purchase of single detached dwelling units to be used to advance the acquisition of supportive housing properties. These purchases

This approach would ensure that the City can efficiently move forward purchases of single detached homes that can then be transitioned quickly to provide supportive housing services for individuals with low to medium acuity levels. These supportive housing units will target those individuals that have been residing within shelters for an extended period and that are typically ready to move through the housing continuum but have been unable to do so, due to a lack of supportive housing opportunities. These supportive housing units will not serve people with high acuity that are typically sheltering in encampments, but will create capacity in the shelter system, without adding new shelter locations and beds.

Operations and Wind Down Engagement

The City is committed to providing ongoing updates, receiving questions, and guiding a constructive community-led engagement process to the neighbourhood around Adelaide Street Shelter. The intent is to ensure clear and consistent communication with the community about the shelter services currently offered at the site and the steps being taken toward winding down these operations and fully closing shelter services at 38 Cowdy Street.

Upcoming community meeting dates are posted on the right side of this page, under Key Dates. Questions about the current Adelaide Street Shelter operations or the wind down plan for the site can be shared using the question tool below. Staff will aggregate questions by theme and respond through the frequently asked questions section of this project page.

Meeting notes, presentations, council reports and news releases will be shared through the links and related documents section of this project page.

Update on Adelaide Street Shelter Community Meeting

Hello Adelaide Street Shelter Neighbours,
Thank you for your continued interest in the Adelaide Street Shelter.
In response to community feedback regarding the meeting location at Central Public School, we are rescheduling the upcoming Nov. 13 community meeting to a future date when the cafeteria at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School (Regi) is available. We are currently exploring available dates and will update you as soon as possible.
We appreciate your input and are committed to ensuring the meeting location is accessible and convenient for everyone.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone or email, or by asking a question on Get Involved Kingston.
Warm regards,
38 Cowdy Street Project team
Please join us at the next community meeting

Dear Residents and Neighbours,
We appreciate your ongoing interest in the operations and winddown of the Adelaide Street Shelter. Since we last met in person in June, we’ve shared updates about the shelter on Get Involved Kingston. We would like to invite you to a near-neighbour meeting and workshop to learn how these updates are supporting the community, and to share an update on the winddown of Adelaide Street Shelter.
Thursday, Nov. 13
5:30-7 p.m.
Central Public School (gymnasium)
237 Sydenham St.
Light refreshments will be served
To help us with planning, please RSVP by emailing GetInvolvedKingston@CityofKingston.ca.
The meeting will take the same format as when we last met, with a brief presentation sharing updates from the Housing & Social Services team, followed by facilitated table conversations.
For anyone not able to make the meeting, updates and What We Heard reporting will be posted on the Get Involved Kingston page.
Thank you again for your ongoing interest in the project, we’re looking forward to continuing the conversation in a few weeks.
38 Cowdy Street Project Team
Upcoming construction work at Adelaide St. Shelter

Dear Neighbours,
We would like to share a quick update about some upcoming activities happening in and around the Adelaide Street Emergency Shelter.
Crane Work – September 4 & 5
The City of Kingston’s Engineering Department is coordinating work with a nearby homeowner that will require the use of a crane. This work will temporarily affect a portion of the roadway on Adelaide St. and the shelter’s parking lot. During this time, shelter staff will need to park on neighbouring streets. Housing staff will be on-site each morning to help facilitate the closure of the lot and part of Frontenac Park.

Excavation Work – Date To Be Determined
Later in September, the City’s Facilities Management & Construction Services (FMCS) team will begin an excavation project to repair rainwater drains that have caused flooding on site. The work will take place in the courtyard outside the building. More details on this project will be shared with you once the schedule is confirmed. Please know that Housing staff and Lionhearts (the shelter operator) will continue to work together closely to keep the site safe and accessible for all guests.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we complete this important work and continue to improve the Adelaide St. Shelter for everyone.
Sincerely,
The Adelaide Shelter team
Adelaide Street Shelter: What We Learned Public Engagement Report
On June 11, 2025, we hosted a community workshop at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic School from 5:30 to 730 p.m., where approximately 60 community members joined in for a conversation about the Adelaide Street Shelter.

The workshop was structured around moderated table conversations, with approximately 8 to 12 participants seated at five different tables. This format encouraged participants to share their experiences, voice concerns, and collaboratively brainstorm possibilities for the site’s redevelopment as part of a future visioning exercise after shelter operations wind down.

To guide the engagement, the conversation was broken into two segments focused on hearing responses to three questions:
- What are your current concerns and feedback about the Adelaide Street Shelter?
- How could the site be used after emergency shelter operations wind down?
- How would you like to be involved going forward?
Conversations were moderated and documented by City staff. The following is a summary of all feedback received, categorized by the themes mentioned most often by participants. Questions and comments received during the workshop were also incorporated into an updated FAQ section on Get Involved Kingston.

Maps and workshop materials are pictured on a table.

Current concerns and feedback

Participants were asked to describe or point out on a map activities and areas of concern. They were also asked to share ideas for mitigating concerns, both in the short and mid-term, as the shelter moves towards winding down.

Maintenance and neighbourhood cleanliness
- Fencing: Participants shared confusion and frustration over placement, maintenance, and effectiveness of the fencing that was installed. Some people felt that the new fencing created a feeling of seclusion, and others mentioned the chain link fence and gates are often damaged.
- Park and neighbourhood cleanliness: Needles, garbage, and lack of public washrooms for people not accessing day services are ongoing issues. Illegal dumping and debris, including branches and wood, were specifically noted by some participants.
- Lighting and Noise: Light pollution from the shelter, noise from gatherings and altercations were among the most frequently noted concerns.
Shelter Operations and Client Supports
- Safety and Security: Participants shared reports of violence and verbal abuse between people outside of the shelter (on the street and sidewalks). Most participants also had concerns about the effectiveness of the security protocols in place.
- Police Response: Perceived disparity in response times between residents and shelter staff. Some participants requested more visible and effective policing.
- Outreach and Support Improvements: Request for 24/7 outreach workers, addiction counsellors, and better coordination among agencies to ensure people are accessing the available services. Some participants also would like to see more communication from the City and the shelter operator about the mandates for the different agencies, and suggested that for shelter staff, uniforms or another type of identifying clothing would be helpful.
Future Vision and Ideas
- Community Amenities: Suggestions included a larger park, recreation centre, library kiosk, artist gallery, music lending library, rehearsal spaces, intergenerational programming, and outdoor sports facilities (e.g., pickleball, table tennis).
- Housing: Strong interest in deeply affordable housing, including townhouses and low-income units. Some support for reusing or demolishing the current building. Some participants expressed opposition to housing on the site and would rather see the site repurposed for community amenities.
- Community Centre: A flexible, multi-use space for all ages, modelled after places like Skeleton Park or Friendship Park.
- Green Space: Expanded tree canopy, community gardens, community ice rink, splash pads, and BBQ pits. Recognition of the community connection to the former school site, and how it could be commemorated, was important to some participants.
Next steps

Community members were encouraged to complete a brief survey on Get Involved Kingston which let us know how they wanted to be involved in the project moving forward, considering the planned wind-down of emergency shelter operations at this location. The project team put forward ideas such as, a community liaison committee, continued open engagement sessions or other suggestions brought forward from the community.

City staff, in collaboration with partner agencies, implemented changes at the emergency shelter, including:
- Increasing the frequency of neighbourhood clean ups, including sharps pick ups.
- Cleaning up the wood and other debris that was left in the alley near the shelter.
- Advancing a strategy to appoint Bylaw Enforcement staff as special constables, which was approved by Council on June 17 and is expected to be in place by the end of 2026.
- Entering into a lease agreement with Lionhearts Inc., and temporarily closing public access to Frontenac Park until shelter operations wind down. This would restrict access to the outdoor greenspace to those taking part in day programs such as fitness and gardening classes.
- Making available a Who To Call information card for community members to reach out to organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness.
Community Update: Changes to Security Services at Adelaide Street Shelter

Dear Neighbours,
We want to share an important update regarding the Adelaide Street Shelter at 38 Cowdy Street.
As you know, the shelter has recently undergone several changes including the temporary closure of Frontenac Park, installation of temporary fencing to support expansion of day services and programming and a reduction in the number of shelter beds. To support these changes the City is excited to work with Allied Universal Security who have extensive experience and training in supporting shelter and day service programs at other locations and are familiar with the unique needs of shelter clients. Allied Security will begin providing on site services starting July 25, 2025. We look forward to the continued positive changes at Adelaide Street Shelter.
We also want to take this opportunity to remind you that we are still receiving feedback on the format for future engagement opportunities. If you haven’t already, please visit Get Involved Kingston to complete a short survey to tell us whether you’d like to have a Community Liaison Committee formed, have ongoing in-person engagements, or a combination of both. We will close the survey on July 31, and it only takes a few minutes to let us know and will help us understand the ways in which you’d like to remain involved and informed.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we work together to foster a safe and welcoming neighbourhood.
Warm regards,
The Adelaide Shelter Team
New FAQ responses available

We’re pleased to share that new responses to frequently asked questions are now available on the project page. These updates reflect the ongoing conversations we’re having with community members at in-person meetings, questions sent through Get Involved Kingston and comments and questions shared with the project team through your District Councillor.
We continue to work closely with agency partners such as Kingston Police and Lionhearts to provide answers to your questions and appreciate your patience while we’ve worked to compile this information on Get Involved Kingston.
As the project moves forward, we encourage you to stay involved by letting us know how you’d like to participate. Visit the project pages to read the latest updates and share your input.
City supports community safety with temporary closure of Frontenac Park

Effective July 2, 2025, the City will temporarily close Frontenac Park, beside the Adelaide St. Shelter (38 Cowdy St.) and lease it to Lionhearts to ensure that Lionhearts can safely use it for the expansion of day services. The closure will remain in place for at least six months, or until the winddown of services at Adelaide Street Shelter, which is anticipated early in 2026. During this period, the park will be closed for public use, and people not participating in day services will be restricted from entering or using the park. In addition to public communications being shared over social media and through the City’s Get Involved Kingston platform, the City and Lionhearts will install fencing and signs to notify the community attempting to access the site of the closure.
Read the full public notice on the City's website.
Next Steps

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend last night’s community workshop. We had valuable discussions at the tables and learned a lot about the current challenges, ideas and solutions and what a vision for the site could be following the shelter wind down. Thank you again for taking time to share your concerns, thoughts and ideas with us.

Samples of the notes taken last night and one of the maps from the workshop discussions.

Next steps: we will take the notes and feedback received from you and report back through Get Involved Kingston on what we heard and what actions we are taking in response. We expect to be able to report that back to you in approximately two weeks. When we do the update will be posted on the project’s Get Involved page and emailed to those subscribed for updates.

City staff are also looking to address some of the specifics we heard last night related to security operations, shelter services, shelter operations transparency and emergency contact information. More detailed information will be included with our report back to you.

We would also like to better understand how you would like to engage on this topic going forward. Please let us know through a quick survey on Get Involved Kingston. This will help us understand whether community members would like to continue with the same type of open format events we have hosted so far or prefer the creation of a community liaison committee.

With thanks,

38 Cowdy Street Project Team
Adelaide Street Shelter Community Workshop Update
Dear Residents and Neighbours, 
Thank you for your interest in the upcoming community workshop on June 11, and for joining us at our previous meeting in May. We’re looking forward to working with and hearing from you. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School, enter from 130 Russell St.
In advance of the workshop, we wanted to share an update on the format and goals of the evening with you. This is organized as a working session, participants will have the chance to join in facilitated table discussions to help identify areas of concern and to help envision what the future use of the site could be after the shelter has wound down. Insights gathered at the tables will be shared back with everyone attending and help guide next steps in responding to those challenges and future vision for the site.
An agenda for the meeting is shared below to give you a sense of how the evening will flow:
- Welcome and introduction 
- Table work: current state, ideas and concerns 
- Report back from the groups 
- Break 
- Table work: future planning 
- Report back from the groups 
- Conclusion and next steps 
For anyone not able to make the meeting, updates and What We Heard reporting will be posted on the Get Involved Kingston page.  
Thank you again for your ongoing interest in the project, we’re looking forward to continuing the conversation on Wednesday. 
- 38 Cowdy Street Project Team 
Community update and next near-neighbour meeting

Dear Residents and Neighbors,
Thank you to everyone who attended the near-neighbour meeting on May 22. We sincerely appreciate the comments and questions that have been shared with us since that night. We’re reaching out today to invite you to the next near-neighbour meeting.
Date: June 11
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School (Regi) cafeteria, 130 Russell Street.
Light refreshments will be provided.
This meeting will start with a brief shelter operation and winddown update and then move into a workshop format to continue outlining concerns, opportunities, possible solutions and next steps. Through this workshop approach, we hope to brainstorm practical solutions that balance the needs of shelter residents with neighborhood quality of life.
As with the meeting on May 22, this meeting will be facilitated to ensure respectful, productive dialogue. We ask all participants to engage constructively, listen actively, and focus on solutions that serve our shared community interests. While we recognize that many Kingston residents are interested in shelter development, this conversation and discussion is specifically intended for people living in the neighbourhood.
If you have questions about the shelter, please share them with us using the form on Get Involved Kingston. To report a concern with clean up on public property, use our Service Request portal on MyKingston. Reports to Kingston Police can be filed online or by calling 613-549-4660. In emergencies, please call 911.
Sincerely,
The 38 Cowdy Street Project team