FAQs
Dec 10 meeting Questions & Answers
What does winddown mean?
The process of closing through a gradual reduction in services. Adelaide Street Emergency Shelter winddown of emergency shelter services started in May, 2025 when shelter capacity was reduced from 63 beds to 55 beds following the plumbing restoration work on site. With the opening of 924 Sydenham Road Shelter in early 2026 the number of beds available will be further reduced from 55 to 25.
The City recently purchased and is in the process of renovating 3 supportive housing sites with each site supporting between 7 and 8 individuals. The final reduction of beds at Adelaide will happen when at least two of the supportive housing sites are open and operating by March 31, 2026. At that time, March 31, 2026, all emergency shelter services at Adelaide Street Shelter will end.
Why did the operator not activate the park site for programming as committed to?
The fenced park area was used for a few groups; however due to staff shortages and weather conditions (extreme heat and rain) it was not utilized as frequently as planned.
What programming is happening during the day?
Programing at the Adelaide Shelter includes connection meetings, life skills training, housing searches, social recreation, art groups, employment and education programing, music group, and a monthly church service. City of Kingston housing and Social Services staff are on site weekly to connect individuals to financial support and other City programs. Housing First Case Mangers also attend the site weekly to support connections to housing programs and other community services.
For information about programming at the Adelaide Shelter please contact Lionhearts Inc, kingston@lionhearts.ca or 613-483-8580.
Where are Street Outreach and Security?
Security is on staff 24/7 and Street Outreach are present in the community daily. If a matter is urgent or concerning, please call 911. If you are concerned about an individual's wellbeing and are unsure who to contact, please refer to the City of Kingston Who to Call page for guidance.
Will more people come into Cowdy over the Winter?
No. Once the 924 Sydenham Road Emergency Shelter is operational, the number of individuals at 38 Cowdy will be reduced from the current level of 55 to 25 individuals. The remaining 25 individuals will be supported to appropriate beds through coordinated access and the opening of at least two supportive housing properties in Q1 2026. The Shelter at 38 Cowdy will not be adding additional beds over the winter and Emergency Shelter services will end March 31, 2026.
Will day services stay at the Adelaide Shelter in March?
All emergency shelter services at Adelaide Street Emergency Shelter will end effective March 31, 2026. In June, 2025, Adelaide Street Emergency shelter shifted from an overnight emergency shelter with drop-in day services to a 24/7 Emergency overnight shelter. Individuals using overnight shelter services can remain for day programming and not be required to leave the shelter as was the case previously. With opening of Sydenham Road 24/7 Emergency Shelter and at least 2 supportive housing properties, all 24/7 emergency shelter services operating out of Adelaide Street Shelter will end March 31, 2026.
How are shelter operations funded?
Shelters are funded in part under the Provincial Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP), which is administered by the City of Kingston, as the Service Manager for the area. Additional funding comes from the annual operating and capital budget of the City of Kingston, as well as Reaching Home, a Government of Canada initiative.
Will security fences stay up during winddown?
Yes. Security fences will remain in place during winddown of the shelter and will remain in place until further notice.
Will a second shelter still move forward? Is this still on the table?
At this time there is no plan for a second shelter. The Cowdy community was updated in Spring 2025 at a community meeting that the City with support of Council was moving to purchase supportive housing properties as part of the plan for winddown of Adelaide Street Shelter. Each property would be supporting between 7-8 bed individuals and at least two of them would be online in Q1 2026 to support the winddown.
Capacity across the homelessness response system, including emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing will continue to increase over the coming year. Dawn House Women’s Shelter recently opened adding 20 beds for women to the emergency shelter system. Queen Mary Road transitional housing operated by Home Base Housing will be opening July 1, 2026, adding 33-35 transitional housing units for individuals over 55. Home Base Housing will also be opening 484 Albert Street over the summer of 2026, adding 38 transitional housing units for youth to the homelessness system.
The City will continue to monitor capacity across the homelessness system to determine if there is a need for additional shelter beds.
What will happen in extreme weather? Will Cowdy open for that?
The City of Kingston Extreme Weather Response Plan is being finalized. 38 Cowdy Street will not be used as a space to provide a response to extreme weather events. The City is currently reviewing potential locations for an overnight warming space where individuals can come inside to warm up. During extreme provincially declared weather events, an additional 15 overnight shelter beds will come online at the 924 Sydenham Road Emergency Shelter and will remain in place until the province declares the end of the extreme weather event.
What if people do not leave Cowdy or do not want to leave?
LionHearts staff and Street Outreach teams, will continue to engage with individuals currently sheltering at Adelaide Street shelter. There are ongoing conversations with shelter residents to support planning and preparation ahead of the closure.
What if someone does not want to be connected to services?
Participation in services is voluntary. Outreach teams will continue to offer support and resources, but individuals have the right to decline. Through coordinated access individuals will be supported to a site that best matches their current service needs.
Police response to day use of the sidewalk has been inadequate
We acknowledge concerns, police continue to monitor the area. If you see somebody in need please refer to the Who to call page or contact the police if necessary.
What happens with security after March 31?
Security will remain on site after the winddown. Once redevelopment begins, the contractor will provide ongoing security.
Who is making the decision to put housing on the land?
The City is currently exploring options for future use of the site and one they are exploring is parkland and housing.
Why was housing not mentioned earlier? Is this already decided?
At a Cowdy Street meeting in June 2025, City staff asked attendees what they would like to see on the site. A number of suggestions were brought forward including parkland and various forms of housing as indicated in the Survey Results indicated below. Final decision on future use for 38 Cowdy Street has not been made.
Where is the original council report?
The original Council report from 2023 related to the purchase of Cowdy Street property is a closed report to Council. For all property acquisitions, the City follows Section 239(2)(c) of the Municipal Act, 2001 (the Act) which provides that a meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered is a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board. This is the process the City has followed for all its affordable, emergency, transitional, and supportive housing and other property acquisitions. Once a property is selected for acquisition, this intent is then voted on in an open session of Council.
When was housing decided to go there?
April 1, 2025 - 25-121 Report - Delegated Authority for Contracting for Shelter Services Report includes details on the original intent for the 38 Cowdy Street site when shelter operations ended.
Snipped below for reference.
"The City’s intent was to utilize the property as a temporary shelter to help support the transition of services offered out of the property at 218 Concession Street. The longer-term intent was to use the property for additional community space/parkland and housing use. Staff reviewed the subject property and deemed it well configured to function as parkland given its central location within the immediate neighbourhood. The City’s purchase of the property was undertaken with the intent of eventually demolishing the former school and creating a larger combined park area of potentially up to 1.37 hectares (3.4 acres). With this intent, the purchase was funded from the Parkland Reserve Fund. Additionally, some components of housing were considered along some portion of the site’s street frontage with the understanding that these opportunities would need to be further assessed closer to the time of demolition and any related park planning exercises."
What is being proposed regarding the housing on the site?
The City continues to explore options for parkland and housing on the site.
What was the cost of the building condition assessment?
he cost for the Building Condition Assessment (BCA) for Cowdy was approximately $15,000.
What will prevent encampments after closure in March? Is this a risk?
Current By-laws do not permit daytime camping in public spaces. This will continue to be enforced at the site and once development begins, the contractor will secure the site to prevent encampments.
Would housing cut into the parkland?
Still continues to explore options for parkland and housing on the site.
Could some of the proposed market housing be affordable?
Decisions have not been made but affordable housing in combination with parkland ws one option brought forward at the June 2025 Cowdy community meeting.
Does the community have any say in what type of housing goes there?
This Get Involved Kingston (GIK) 38 Cowdy Street page has a closed comment section open until end of day January 14, 2026 where community members can anonymously provide feedback on the concept of parkland and housing that was brought forward at the community meeting December 10, 2025. Further details on the closed comment section are available on the main page.
How big is the parkland? How big is the development property?
The total space available – school and park combined is 1.37 hectares (3.4 acres). There have been no decisions made between space considerations for housing / parkland.
What happened to the engagement outcomes? Why are we only hearing about this now?
Engagement outcomes were summarized on Get Involved Kingston and shared with staff: Adelaide Street Shelter: What We Learned Public Engagement Report | 38 Cowdy Street | Get Involved Kingston by Communications & Public Engagement
In June, residents shared the following future vision and ideas: Community Amenities, Housing (strong interest in deeply affordable housing), Community Centre, and Green Space.
In June, residents were also asked to complete a survey about how they wanted to stay engaged. Most residents shared that they wanted more engagement opportunities with a majority selecting “Keep going with the same type of meetings and workshops” and “Both a CLC and meetings and workshops”.
Survey results received before deadline of July 31, 2025
All-Time survey results including responses post-deadline:
Is housing feasible on the site?
As part of the City of Kingston planning process a feasibility study is required for any proposed housing on the site.
More People are becoming homeless, what is the City doing to prevent that?
The City of Kingston, like other municipalities across the province and country, are experiencing an unprecedented addiction and mental health crisis which has led to an increase in homelessness. The City is unable to address this issue alone and requires a coordinated federal strategy that includes funding to support ongoing City efforts to address this crisis. The City is focusing on homelessness prevention by investing in affordable and supportive housing, strengthening prevention and diversion support, and working with community partners to connect people to appropriate support.
Who designed the shelter at 924 Sydenham Road? What if people do not want to go there?
The shelter at 924 Sydenham Road will be accessible via a coordinated access system. The system will help to identify the sites and programs that are best tailored to individual needs. The coordinated access system incorporates a client-centred approach that will foster individual autonomy. Potential shelter individuals who do not wish to stay at 924 Sydenham Road will be supported to other available services in the community. Not all individuals are willing to come inside for support. Street Outreach will continue to engage with individuals to encourage them to come inside to access services.
The shelter design, proposed size and operations approach is grounded in current best practices across the emergency homelessness sector.
Does coordination happen between municipalities? Such as sending people to Kingston for services.
Agencies and the City when able will look to repatriate / support individuals seeking to return to their home municipality. Municipalities do not coordinate the relocation of unsheltered people.
When is the shelter closing? Will the timeline change/be extended?
The City of Kingston is working toward closing Adelaide Street Shelter in the first half of 2026. All emergency shelter services at Adelaide Street Emergency Shelter will end effective March 31, 2026. This timing is connected to the ability to open alternate shelter beds and supportive housing units. A major step toward the closure of the site will be the opening of new shelter services at 924 Sydenham Rd. in Q1 of 2026, following which the number of beds at 38 Cowdy will be reduced while 3 supportive housing sites are completed and opened.
What is the difference between unsheltered homelessness, emergency shelters and transitional/supportive housing?
Unsheltered or absolute homelessness is the type of homelessness that is generally thought of when talking about homelessness. It is a narrow concept that includes individuals that are living in public or private spaces without consent, as well as those living in places not fit for permanent human habitation (Statistics Canada).
Emergency sheltered homelessness includes individuals that are currently living in shelters that are specifically designed to temporarily accommodate people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This includes homeless shelters, shelters designed to house those fleeing domestic violence or emergency shelters for those impacted by natural disasters (Statistics Canada).
Transitional supportive housing provides a physical environment that is specifically designed to be safe, secure, enabling, and home-like, with support services such as social services, life skill supports, housekeeping, and social and recreational activities, to maximize residents’ independence, privacy, and dignity (CMHC, 2018). Persons in transitional housing pay rent and live there full time. Transitional housing is intended to support people day-to-day as they work towards independent living.
What are the mandates for the agencies?
All shelters are operated by not-for-profit housing providers who each have their own mandates and missions. The primary mandate is to provide temporary emergency shelter accommodations to individuals experiencing homelessness with the goal of assisting them to find stable long-term housing.
Are there restrictions on using services at the shelter?
Many shelters in Kingston operate as low-barrier facilities, meaning they aim to reduce obstacles that may prevent someone from accessing shelter services. While health and safety rules are always in place, the focus is on creating an inclusive, supportive environment where people can get help without unnecessary conditions.
Currently, Adelaide Shelter’s barrier is that they do not allow pets – service animals are accepted. Other shelters in Kingston do offer safe and supportive housing facilities for guests and their pets. Drug use is not permitted within shelters – the use of drugs remains an illegal activity and is only supported at safe consumption sites, such as the one that operates out of the ICH between the hours of 9 a.m.- 9 p.m., 7 days a week. The co-located shelter operations at that site operate between 8 p.m.- 9 a.m.
What happens if the number of occupants increases in greater numbers?
The shelter can accommodate up to 55 individuals per night. The City funds other shelter operators, and individuals can be referred to other locations if Adelaide Street reaches capacity. The shelter operators work closely to ensure individuals can access available beds within the shelter system. The City tracks shelter utilizations across all City funded shelter sites and works with operators to ensure that all shelters are being used effectively. This can include reviewing barriers and user restrictions to ensure people seeking shelter can be supported at an appropriate shelter site.
Can bathrooms be made more accessible in the shelter?
Adelaide Shelter offers accessible washrooms for all shelter users.
Can the entrance on Cherry Street be closed off completely?
Yes – with the new site upgrades, access to Adelaide Street Shelter via Cherry St was closed off with fencing on July 2nd. The only entry point to the shelter is now off Adelaide St.
What are we doing about the coordinated drop off at the shelter?
Street Outreach provides transportation for individuals in the community, and they normally do their rounds in the morning.
What is the role of security guards?
The role of the security guards is to provide a safe and secure environment, while monitoring the premises and protecting the property and individuals using the shelter. The security team controls and monitors the entry and exits points of the shelter. They are responsible to de-escalate conflict situations, using non-violent crisis intervention techniques. Additionally, they are responsible to report any breaches to the shelter policies or emergencies to Lionhearts Inc. management and/or police as necessary.
How often does clean-up occur? Who do we contact to dispose of paraphernalia and sharps?
The City conducts weekly clean ups of Frontenac Park, and the area around the shelter. If you find a needle, syringe, or other drug paraphernalia in a public place, contact the South East Health Unit by email or call 613-548-5860.
What happens when someone is denied services? How do we inform the shelter about individuals who should be added to the service restriction list?
The City’s homelessness team works closely with all shelter providers to review individuals who have been restricted to any shelter. Restrictions can vary, and each shelter has its own rules and regulations. The shelter determines how an individual is restricted from services, and this is tracked in a database. If you have a concern about an individual using a shelter, please contact Lionhearts Inc, kingston@lionhearts.ca or 613-483-8580. They can then work with the client to determine next steps.
How do we report a noise bylaw violation?
All noise bylaw violations can be reported to Bylaw Enforcement: bylawenforcement@cityofkingston.ca or by phone: 613-546-0000.
If I witness abuse by shelter staff, who should I report it to?
Lionhearts Inc. 613-483-8580 and/or the Kingston Police.
City of Kingston, Homelessness Services: homelessness@cityofkingston.ca or by phone: 613-546-4291 ext.4895.
Who do we contact if someone needs support?
Home Base Housing's Street Outreach team provides support and referrals to homeless individuals. If you know someone in need, call 613-542-6672 ext.130 or email streetoutreach@kingstonhomebase.ca.
If someone is in distress and requires mental health supports, please contact Addictions and Mental Health - KFLA 24/7 Crisis Line at 613-544-4229 or 1-866-616-6005. In case of an emergency, call 911.
Why is police response so long?
The City has been in close communication with Kingston Police. Based on those communications, the City understands that Kingston Police will increase its presence in the area for an undetermined period of time. The City will also increase its presence of by-law enforcement officers in the area to improve compliance with the City's by-laws. The City will coordinate with Kingston Police whenever possible to proactively address issues in this community.
What is the engagement process? Why were there no consultations on day services?
The shelter has provided weekend Day Services since 2024; the program expanded to weekdays in May 2025. There have been two opportunities for near neighbors to provide in person feedback.
What will happen to the site after the shelter closes? What is the building condition to support long-term use?
The City is currently reviewing all future uses of the site and has provided an opportunity for community members to share their feedback at the open house in June. The building condition was reviewed by the City when the site was first purchased, and it is usable in its current condition. However, long-term adaptive reuse would require more significant infrastructure improvements. The future of the site will consist of site demolition and expansion of the park. A proposal for the sale of housing lots to fund an expansion and redevelopment of a larger community park is being considered.
Is there a guarantee for emergency shelter spaces in the city?
The City remains committed to addressing homelessness by utilizing best practices and adapting services to meet the changing needs of homeless individuals and families. Data is regularly collected and reviewed to ensure that shelter spaces are adequate to meet the current needs of the community.