38 Cowdy Street

Adelaide Street Shelter

Since 2023, the property at 38 Cowdy Street (Adelaide Street Shelter) has continued to operate 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

Emergency shelter operations at Adelaide Street Shelter are required to include a minimum of 48 beds as well as a bistro/rest area. When the Integrated Care Hub (ICH) operations were temporarily closed following September 12, 2024, the operations at Adelaide Street Shelter expanded to 63 beds, which were then expanded again to 77 beds as part of the Winter Response Plan and with additional funding provided through the Provincial Encampment Response Initiative funds.

Currently Adelaide Street Shelter had 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 7 days per week, from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. each day. In addition to the shelter services described above, Lionhearts Inc. also provides drop-in and day services at the site. 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 they have now been expanded (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

As part of the move to wind down shelter operations at 38 Cowdy Street the City is looking to acquire properties for the purpose of providing shelter operations in other areas of the city.

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.

The City is also currently reviewing a second potential new shelter location elsewhere in the City. This acquisition is not yet finalized but the intent is to see a second new shelter operational in the first quarter of 2026 which will allow for the closure of shelter and emergency housing services at 38 Cowdy Street.

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.

Adelaide Street Shelter

Since 2023, the property at 38 Cowdy Street (Adelaide Street Shelter) has continued to operate 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

Emergency shelter operations at Adelaide Street Shelter are required to include a minimum of 48 beds as well as a bistro/rest area. When the Integrated Care Hub (ICH) operations were temporarily closed following September 12, 2024, the operations at Adelaide Street Shelter expanded to 63 beds, which were then expanded again to 77 beds as part of the Winter Response Plan and with additional funding provided through the Provincial Encampment Response Initiative funds.

Currently Adelaide Street Shelter had 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 7 days per week, from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. each day. In addition to the shelter services described above, Lionhearts Inc. also provides drop-in and day services at the site. 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 they have now been expanded (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

As part of the move to wind down shelter operations at 38 Cowdy Street the City is looking to acquire properties for the purpose of providing shelter operations in other areas of the city.

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.

The City is also currently reviewing a second potential new shelter location elsewhere in the City. This acquisition is not yet finalized but the intent is to see a second new shelter operational in the first quarter of 2026 which will allow for the closure of shelter and emergency housing services at 38 Cowdy Street.

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.

  • 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

  • Community update May 22, 2025

    Thank you for your ongoing interest in the 38 Cowdy Street project. We would like to provide a short update on clean-up work underway as well as community safety concerns.

    Clean up measures:

    The City is increasing its clean-up efforts around Adelaide Shelter from once every two weeks to once a week. Staff from Public Works will also remove items, garbage and debris that are left unattended in Frontenac Park.

    The City is also working with Public Health to increase needle pick up both around Adelaide Street Shelter and within Frontenac Park. Public health will be conducting weekly sweeps in the area for the next four weeks. Then they will assess the need for ongoing sweeps based on data collection.

    Outside of these sweeps you can also contact public health to report any needles as there are no guarantees that every needle will be found. To learn more about safe needle collection and disposal please refer to the needle safety website of Public Health.

    Enforcement around daytime Sheltering in City parks:

    Efforts continue around the shelter and in Frontenac Park to enforce the daytime prohibition on camping. City Bylaw staff, along with Street Outreach continue to visit the park daily with support from Kingston Police. The process for removing someone from the park follows the City’s encampment protocol.

    The protocol is that if someone is found in violation of the Parks Use Bylaw, a Bylaw officer gives a six-hour notice to the individual to leave the site. During this time, Street Outreach and Housing & Social Services staff offer support for relocation. Following this Bylaw can then move to enforce the trespass notice. Given the time needed to follow this protocol, you may see a delay between Bylaw arriving to give notice and the final removal of tents and structures.

    Please continue to reach out to City Bylaw and Kingston Police when you observe encampments and illegal behaviours. Staff will do our best to respond within a timely manner. More details about the City’s Encampment protocol are available on our website.

    Site security services:

    A security guard remains on site from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. City staff and Lionhearts are continuing to refine the scope of their duties, and areas of patrol. Their main role is to monitor the site to provide protection of the property and individuals using the shelter. The security guard has no enforcement powers and has been directed to call emergency supports if needed; including calls to Bylaw, Police, Fire and/or Paramedics.

    Next community meeting:

    We are continuing to plan for the next community meeting where we will workshop together how best to address continuing issues and concerns, provide updates on the winddown timeline and discuss opportunities for the future of the site once the shelter operations close. We hope to confirm the time and location for this meeting soon.


  • Adelaide Street Shelter Reopens Following Restoration Work

    Adelaide Street Shelter will reopen for overnight shelter services and day services beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 15.

    Restoration efforts at the Adelaide Street Shelter, located at 38 Cowdy St., have now been completed following a plumbing incident last week. Beginning tomorrow, May 15, at 9 a.m., overnight shelter services and day services operated by Lionhearts will resume at the Adelaide Street Shelter.

    The shelter’s capacity will now be set at 55 beds, a reduction from previous numbers. This adjustment is based on the continued availability of emergency shelter options across all emergency shelters, and part of the larger plan to begin wind down of shelter services at the Adelaide Street Shelter by the end of 2025.

    We extend our deepest gratitude to Lionhearts, the dedicated staff in the Housing & Social Services and the Facilities Management & Construction Services departments at the City, and all service providers who have worked tirelessly over the past week to ensure continued support for individuals accessing shelter services. Their commitment to community care and collaboration has been invaluable.

    For more information, please call 613-483-8580.

  • May 13 Information Session Community Meeting Presentation Slides

    On May 13, we hosted an Information Session at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic School from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to share updates about the Adelaide Street Shelter. The session was moderated by Jennifer Campbell, Commissioner, Community Services, and included opening remarks from District Councillor Gregory Ridge and a presentation by Jayne Hartley, Director, Housing and Social Services. Approximately 50 residents in the neighbourhood surrounding the Adelaide Street Shelter attended, and had the opportunity to ask questions of City staff, Kingston Police and Lionhearts. We sincerely appreciate the time that everyone took to attend the May 13 meeting.

    While we work to compile all of the questions received during the meeting in order to theme and respond to concerns raised, we want to ensure that neighbours who weren't able to attend can access the presentation (which is included below). If you require the presentation in an alternate format, please contact us.

    A commitment we made to residents during the meeting was to set up a follow up meeting to discuss and workshop together the issues and concerns brought forward. We are working now to book time and location for this meeting, and will share these details shortly. Please be sure to click Follow Project or contact us to receive these updates by email.

    If you have questions about the shelter, please share them with us using the form here 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.


    Slide 1: Information Session: Community Meeting Adelaide Street Shelter

    Slide 2: Land Acknowledgement


    Slide 3: Agenda and guidelines for participation



    Slide 4: Location in neighbhourhood



    Slide 5: Emergency housing responses


    current operations and servicesSlide 6: Current operations/services




    service disruptionSlide 7: Service disruption at Adelaide Street Shelter




    community concernsSlide 8: Community concerns and support responses





    community concerns and responsesSlide 9: concerns shared and responses




    the future of 38 CowdySlide 10: the future of 38 Cowdy Street


    Slide 11: major milestones to closure of Adelaide Street ShelterSlide 11: major milestones to closure of Adelaide Street Shelter






    How can I be involved moving fowardSlide 12: how can I be involved moving forward




    thank you and questionsSlide 12: Thank you and questions




  • Near Neighbour community meeting invitation letter

    The following letter was mailed by Canada Post to approximately 450 properties in a 6 block radius around the Adelaide Street Shelter (properties within the Division, Patrick, Quebec, Montreal and Russell Streets). If you live in the community and didn't receive a letter, please contact us to ensure that you are added to our mailing list.

    Hello Community Members,

    Last September, we reached out to share updates regarding the temporary emergency shelter located at 38 Cowdy Street, known as the Adelaide Street Shelter. We would like to share further updates with you, and invite you to attend a near neighbour meeting. At this meeting, City staff will provide updates on the shelter wind down timelines and review the operational changes that have been made at the shelter to address concerns shared with us from both community members and shelter users.

    The meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School Cafeteria (130 Russell St.) from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

    As the operators of Adelaide Street Shelter, representatives from Lionhearts will also be in attendance. Following the staff led updates, there will be time for follow up questions and one-on-one discussions.

    Keeping the community updated is important to us, and we’ve created a new page on Get Involved Kingston that will launch on May 7 and is focused on sharing updates about 38 Cowdy Street. Through this site we will share near neighbour meeting presentations, Council reports, news releases, updates around shelter operations and the wind down timeline updates and share answers to frequency asked questions. Visit GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca/38-Cowdy-Street and click Follow Project to sign up for email updates.

    We look forward to connecting with you on May 13.

    Sincerely,

    Jayne Hartley

    Director, Housing & Social Services

    City of Kingston

Page last updated: 29 May 2025, 12:29 PM