Kingston Letter
You can learn more about the Kingston tiny home community on their Facebook page here.
Dear Kingston,
Yes…to the cabins in my backyard!
I proudly live in the heart of Portsmouth Village! Proudly, because it is where Our Livable Solutions and the City of Kingston originally chose to create a supportive community for 10 cabins and a hub to support some of Kingston’s unhoused/unsupported community members.
This little community has made it feel far safer for me to walk around the Olympic Harbour any time of day or night. There is always someone on staff at the cabin hub and lights on in cabins. I have not met a single resident or worker at the site that is not friendly or welcoming when i do drop in or make a delivery. I am also impressed with the order and resourcefulness in the environment (ie: blackboard/notice board with appointments, needs, meeting agenda items, canned food items stocked and communal spaces clean and set up for easy access)
I have made myself available to drive residents to appointments or food pick ups. I have also done food pick ups from the food bank for residents. The residents i drive are always friendly and very grateful and often offer me a coffee at Tim Hortons. (They remain nameless for their own privacy; not because i want them to be nameless). They have expressed to me how happy they are to be safe from the larger Hub in North end Kingston. When in the middle of Covid they would wear their masks on car errands as did I. We kept each other safe.
I have not noticed any more theft than there was pre-cabins and in fact know that it was a resident of the cabins that alerted police about a break in on a boat. When there was a fire at the cabins i think people were quick to judge. The truth was that this fire was set by an outside person on the outside of a cabin. I do not think that any of the residents that i have met would want to jeopardize their shelter in this neighborhood.
My personal observation has been that the neighbourhood has embraced this little community more than they originally thought they might. I know that i did. Here’s to more neighborhoods embracing this model!
Sincerely,
Bonnie J. Anthony