Cobourg council is hosting a town hall meeting on Tuesday (June 17) in the hopes of gathering public feedback about the homeless shelter on Division Street in Cobourg.
Residents and business owners are being invited to attend the Town of Cobourg council’s meeting at 6 p.m. at the Cobourg Community Centre at 750 D’Arcy St.
The Transition House homeless shelter, which moved from Chapel Street to 310 Division St., partially opened in December by offering short-term beds for those experiencing homelessness. It has since opened fully, offering additional services for those in need of longer-term housing support as well.
“The meeting is intended to be a community engagement opportunity for residents to share feedback, suggestions, or concerns regarding 310 Division St. with council,” Kara Eaule, the Town of Cobourg’s communications manager, told kawarthaNOW.
“Cobourg does not have a say in the operation of 310 Division Street. Therefore, Mayor (Lucas) Cleveland will take the community feedback to Northumberland County council where he hopes it can serve to inform positive change.”
The Division Street facility, which Northumberland County purchased in 2023 in partnership with Transition House, is intended to “modernize” shelter services, and serves as the only shelter of its kind in Northumberland County.
In addition to 35 emergency short-term beds, the shelter also now offers longer-term transitional housing options. Services include connecting individuals to needed resources, such as wellness, housing, and employment supports. The Division Street facility includes a drop-in warming room and cooling centre.
Northumberland County created a community liaison committee for the shelter, comprised of members of the community including neighbours in the immediate vicinity of the shelter, residents of the broader Cobourg community, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness and housing insecurity, along with delegates from local businesses, the faith community, and community agencies, members of Northumberland Paramedics and the Cobourg Police, and representatives from both the shelter and from the Town of Cobourg and Northumberland County.
According to a release from the county, monthly committee meetings provide a forum for sharing information, resolving challenges, and advancing solutions to support the local integration of shelter services.
There has been friction between the county and the town related to Transition House, mostly centring around compliance with Cobourg’s emergency care establishment by-law.
Cobourg council hopes to hear from a variety of community members on Tuesday.
“The development of the low-barrier shelter at 310 Division St. presents an opportunity for individuals within the community who have struggled to transition into housing,” a media release from the Town of Cobourg noted.
“In the early stages of any project, experiential learning is a powerful tool to gain insight and knowledge. Cobourg council is eager to hear from members of the community who have benefited from 310 Division St. as well as those whose experience has been less than optimal.”
The town hall meeting will take place in the gym of the community centre.
Residents and Cobourg business owners who wish to speak at the meeting are encouraged to register in advance by emailing clerk@cobourg.ca or calling the clerk’s office at 905-372-4301.
Staff from the clerk’s office will also be available on-site during the meeting for those who wish to register to speak in person.
Speakers will be provided five minutes to speak. Speakers must register to speak before 7:30 p.m. If speakers would like to share any materials at the meeting they must be submitted by Monday, June 16 at noon by email to clerk@cobourg.ca. A maximum of five slides will be permitted for presentations.
For those able to attend in person, the meeting will also be livestreamed on the Town of Cobourg’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/towncobourg.
