Not Alone Team Quinte isn’t giving up on its hope to build a tiny homes community in Belleville to shelter the homeless.
Monday city council accepted a staff report showing council could ignore any future funding requests from Not Alone Team as it did not spend council’s $25,000 grant on a concept plan for the tiny homes but instead on other items, such as six sheds at a cost of over $16,000.
After the meeting, representatives from Not Alone Team say there was a misunderstanding and they were able to have a concept plan developed by a professional free of charge so they decided to spend council’s grant on other items.
Speaking with disappointed Not Alone Team members City Clerk Matt MacDonald stressed the staff report was not meant as a criticism of the organization and agreed they were championing a worthy cause.
But he added, “Staff cannot condone your spending because you clearly did not do as council directed which was to bring back a professional concept plan with the $25,000 we gave you.”
Meanwhile Mayor Neil Ellis says it will take much more than one organization to make a dent in the homelessness situation.
“It takes all members of the community to come together whether it’s Hastings County, ourselves, Not Alone Team, and find partnerships and find a location and that.”
Not Alone Team Quinte will be back before council to clear the air and offer new information in the near future, regretting asking council for $500,000 to build the tiny home community in November of last year.
One member said the request was a mistake born out of a desire to get the community (10 tiny homes plus a washroom/dining hub) up and running sometime this winter. A location still has not been determined.
