CLC Meeting Summary: April 1

On April 1, 2026, we held our fifth Community Liaison Committee (CLC) meeting.

The session opened with an acknowledgement of the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat.

The CLC committee heard updates from the Shelter Operator, Doors of Compassion, the City of Kingston, as well as submissions from the community.

Operator Updates

At the time of meeting, the shelter had been operating for six weeks. Doors of Compassion shared the following updates:

  • Shelter beds are consistently full. Patrons stay night after night and when a bed opens it is filled immediately on a first-come-first-serve basis by calling the shelter to inquire about availability.
  • Community Care Team is responding to calls where necessary
    • Every shift has a Community Care Team member who responds to calls from community alongside the shelter manager and the Patron Relations Assistant (PRA)


  • Six patrons have been housed since beginning operations
    • Doors of Compassion helps some patrons reconnect with family while others are connected with local housing services
    • All patrons continue to work towards housing goals with the Patron Relations Assistant
    • Members asked about what is done locally to prevent individuals becoming unhoused in the first place. City of Kingston also funds prevention/diversion workers to help keep people housed.


  • Communication with neighbouring businesses
    • Doors of Compassion is in communication with neighbouring businesses and has shared a communications pathway for who to contact. Contact cards are also being printed to share with staff of adjacent businesses (shown below).


  • Local concerns have been addressed through conversations with patrons and the addition of motion sensor lights and cameras (more details under community submissions). While not every call is related to patrons, Doors of Compassion has followed up with patrons where applicable and is also committed to providing support if a non-patron in the community needs help.


City of Kingston Updates

  • The request for a Traffic Light or additional crosswalk along Sydenham Road was taken back but is not currently in the budget. This request has been added to the queue for consideration.
  • Road safety was a priority raised by CLC members. Councillor Chaves has raised these concerns with the following progress:
    • Speed limits will be reduced to 50 km/h and fines will be increased as the stretch along Sydenham Road north of the shelter is receiving the designation of school safety zone
  • Ongoing concerns about the lack of sidewalk have been taken back for consideration


  • Purchase and Fit-up Budget
    • Purchased: $2,450,000
    • Closing costs: $65,000
    • Site plan Control: $6,432.50
    • Additional costs for the construction of the shelter will be retrieved from public reports and included in the next CLC meeting.


  • Two Supportive Housing Properties Welcoming Residents. Third opening April
  • Adelaide Street Shelter now Closed
    • The closure pf the Adelaide Street Shelter was gradual with all patrons offered a place elsewhere in the system. While some declined, most moved to various housing and shelter services.
  • Housing Continuum Educational Video
    • Members saw a draft video explaining recent developments in Kingston’s Housing & Homelessness services while also educating community about the housing continuum
    • The video is now published: https://youtu.be/WesK2ZCTsY4?si=GHPgQVaNII_7Mdat


Community Submissions

The Committee reviewed three submissions from the community.

  • Community Submission 1: Incidents on Cataraqui Cemetery Property
    • Members reviewed detailed submissions with accompanying photos regarding incidents reported at the Cataraqui cemetery in February and March 2026 including:
      • A break-in to the cemetery lodge
      • Multiple instances of trespassing /loitering
      • Graffiti on the cemetery’s columbarium
      • Drug paraphernalia
    • Due to privacy, the identity of individuals involved and whether they are patrons at the shelter cannot be shared.
    • Doors of Compassion explained their response to these incidents included:
      • Informing shelter patrons to use proper public entrances to the cemetery and reminding of expectations. Reminding patrons that trespassing or loitering are not permitted on cemetery grounds.
      • Helping collect and safely dispose of paraphernalia
      • As a gesture of good faith, offering to pay for a new lock on the lodge and for the removal or graffiti on the columbarium
      • Adding new motion sensor lights and cameras
    • City Staff and Doors of Compassion outlined steps that have been taken to ensure effective communication about incidents including:
      • The creation of clear communication pathways that outline who to contact for different questions or concerns
      • The development of contact cards which will be distributed to neighbouring business for their staff to use
      • Connecting with local partners to connect neighbouring businesses to training and educational opportunities for staff to learn more about homelessness awareness, engagement and de-escalation.


  • Community Submissions 2 & 3: Loitering / trespassing around Lions Hall & loitering on Purdy’s Court
    • Two incidents of trespassing were reported to shelter staff, both of which were recorded and addressed by shelter staff
    • Safety around the Lions Hall was raised for Shelter staff to prioritize along with the grass between the shelter’s parking lot and the cemetery
    • The committee agreed to a proposed Community Submissions process wherein any incidents submitted for the CLC’s consideration will be sent to members within 48 hours of receiving the submission. Submissions received by 12 p.m. on the day of monthly CLC meetings will be added to that month’s meeting summary.
      • Members of the public can submit comments and questions to the CLC by using Contact Us | City of Kingston and indicating the submission is for the 924/928 Sydenham Road CLC.


Emerging items

  • Members acknowledge that irregular trespassing and break-ins occurred in the area prior to the opening of the shelter. The committee heard that some CLCs, including the CLC of the local ICH, have local police in attendance to speak to these topics. Members recommended staff explore the possibility of having Kingston Police attend or provide data. Members also suggested the 6-month report include comparative police data from the area over time
  • Members heard about progress in new programming and activity at the shelter in addition to successful integration and welcoming into the community


Next Steps

  • Staff will take back the recommendation to connect with Kingston Police for baseline crime rates and comparative data
  • Community submissions to the CLC will continue to be shared with members as they are received