Kingston’s ‘Welcoming Streets’ project has been extended until the end of the year

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Kingston City Council has voted to expand Welcoming Streets, a program designed to assist street-involved people and downtown business owners.

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After hearing from a delegation from Welcoming Streets Administrator Josh Morgan at its June 5 regular meeting, the board noted and received a program update report from Community Services Commissioner Jennifer Campbell and Manager of Housing and Homelessness , Amy Gibson. Without further questions or discussion, the council voted to extend the “Welcoming Streets” pilot program beyond the original targeted end date of June 30, 2024, to December 31, 2024, at a cost of approximately $125,000.

The staff report recommended that the mayor and clerk enter into amended agreements with Addiction and Mental Health Services – Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (AMHS-KFLA) and the Downtown Kingston Business Improvement Area (BIA) to continue the pilot street focused on the city center. outreach program through December 31, 2024, with a monthly funding allocation of up to $10,417 per agency for the duration of the extension. They suggested funding this from the Homelessness Prevention Program and the approved 2024 operating budget for housing and social services, according to the report.

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Council initially approved funding to implement the ‘Welcoming Streets’ pilot program at its meeting on 16 May 2023. The pilot aimed to support vulnerable people by placing dedicated street workers in the city centre. The City, AMHS-KFLA and BIA have entered into service agreements to provide the “Welcoming Streets” pilot program from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

The report states that since then, under the terms of these agreements, the BIA and AMHS-KFLA have collaborated on the “Welcoming Streets” program to respectfully engage with people experiencing homelessness and/or addiction or mental health difficulties and to help them access the resources and support they need. The program also helps property and business owners, as well as their staff and customers, cultivate a safe, welcoming and supportive community that takes into account the complex needs of all involved.

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In August 2023, the BIA and city officials attended a meeting to discuss increased crime and vandalism downtown, according to the city staff report. The purpose of the meeting was to learn how services work in Kingston and to allow business owners to make suggestions on how to support the vitality of downtown Kingston’s merchants and services and how to ensure that residents and tourists feel comfortable and excited of frequenting the area.

The report discusses how representatives known as welcome street managers provided services in the inner city area from Monday to Saturday during typical working hours.

The program’s vision is to foster a compassionate, inclusive and supportive environment for everyone in the downtown Kingston community. Stewards are trained with a trauma-informed lens and experienced in supporting people with complex needs.

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The people you plan to reach out to may be experiencing poverty, homelessness, addictions, or mental and physical health issues. Administrators focus on building relationships, providing access to service opportunities, and providing referrals and/or guidance to rest areas where individuals can access meals and/or shelter.

The report notes that the defined service area for the “Welcoming Streets” pilot has been identified as a priority to support vulnerable populations and downtown businesses. The program works alongside and in addition to the Street Outreach program offered by Home Base Housing, which participates in all areas of Kingston seven days a week. Administrators worked closely with downtown businesses to provide program details and share knowledge about mental health, substance abuse, and/or de-escalation techniques.

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According to the report, the pilot program has been running for 11 months. The annual budget for the “Welcoming Streets” pilot project is $250,000, with each service agency receiving $125,000 in funding. Of this total funding package, $150,000 was allocated from the Homelessness Prevention Program and $100,000 from the 2023 municipal operating budget.

In his delegation, Morgan illustrated how the program facilitated significant positive change in people’s lives through comprehensive support and connections to essential services. He provided some specific examples of how individuals have overcome significant challenges through encounters with the program.

For one client, the connection with Morgan as the Welcome Streets Administrator led to a new connection with the AMHS-KFLA Wound Care Nurse. Then, he said, “the individual secured transitional housing through local community partners.” Morgan noted that this was just one example of “demonstrating the effectiveness of the program, addressing immediate health needs and facilitating stable housing solutions.”

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After providing several examples, Morgan concluded the delegation by saying, “The success of Downtown Kingston’s ‘Welcoming Streets’ lies in the meaningful connections and relationships with individuals experiencing mental health and addiction issues and in providing education and solutions for companies and their employees when they have a situation they need assistance with. Other than this program, the only option is to call the police.”

In their report, city staff asked directed council staff to return to council by the end of 2024 with an update on all Street Outreach services and associated recommendations for funding those services going forward.

According to the report, BIA has received positive feedback and appreciation for the program. Stewards provided naloxone information and training sessions for BIA members at large, as well as individual companies that would like their staff to be informed and trained in valuable risk reduction methods.

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Administrators also worked closely with the city’s bylaw enforcement team, Home Base Housing and AMHS Street Outreach staff to redirect crisis or conflict calls from emergency services and direct individuals to specific services such as Detox, Street Health or Day Services. From February to March 2024, program data reported that 16 calls were diverted from enforcement services.

The report notes that service agreements with BIA and AMHS-KFLA require the organization to track demographics, connections made, services or referrals provided, and outcomes, where possible, to allow for evidence-based program review. During the pilot, housing and homelessness staff met biweekly with BIA and AMHS-KFLA to review program effectiveness and ensure goals and objectives were met.

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The report summarizes these findings. Since July 2023, the program has made 1,051 personal connections with individuals and staff/business owners in downtown Kingston. The report notes that this is not a sum of separate individuals; some percentages may be skewed due to recurring interactions with some people and the brief nature of some of the interactions, the report notes.

Statistically, the report revealed quite a bit.

The report notes that this pilot project demonstrates the work and compassion needed to foster connections and build community; however, he also acknowledges that this activity can be challenging. AMHS-KFLA and the BIA said staffing the program has been difficult because of the nature of the contract and the experience required for the positions. “This is a common challenge in this sector,” the report points out. “However, both organizations are committed to ensuring that the program is staffed and outcomes are met.”

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According to the report, all current housing and homelessness programs will be reviewed by the end of the year. This review will consider the operation and funding of Street Outreach services, and once completed, staff will return to council with an update and recommendations for the operation and funding of these services going forward. Given the timing of the planned review, staff recommended that the current “Welcoming Streets” pilot program be extended through December 31, 2024.

More information about the program can be found on the “Welcoming Streets” page on the Downtown Kingston website.

Michelle Dorey Forestell is a local journalism initiative reporter at the Kingstonist. The local journalism initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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