London's micro-modular shelter site will soon be home to its first residents

Sixty Londoners without a place to call home will soon have a warm bed to sleep in.

The City of London's micro-modular shelter site, which will provide 60 beds for unhoused people, will welcome the first group of residents this week, according to city staff.

The shelter site, located south of Highway 401 at the corner of Max Brose Drive and Cheese Factory Road, was a frozen cornfield when construction began in early December.

The project timeline has shifted since it was first approved in early October, from a hopeful opening by the end of 2025 to early January. Now, it's set to open by the end of the month.

"We had to make sure that although we're doing this fast, we still want to be doing it well and make sure that it is safe and truly ready for the participants when they move in," said Ashley Rammeloo, director of water, wastewater and stormwater at the City of London and lead engineer for the project.

Delivery delays and weather conditions also played a role in the delay, Rammeloo said.

All of the individual units are now on site, as well as a group of trailers set up as common areas and shared bathroom facilities. The first group of units are fully powered and heated.

Prospective residents are currently being referred through the city's coordinated access system and potential matches are being compiled into a list, according to Deon Rocha, a manager with London's Housing Stability Services.

"We will be picking from the referrals that we have at this point," he said. "I can say people are very eager to be coming over here."

The exact number of residents that could be moving in next week is still up in the air.

A couple days of work still remain, Rammeloo said. The common areas still need electricity, and they need to ensure the water and sewer connections have heat tracing and insulation.

Local services also involved

Contracted to operate the site is Xpera Canada, a private security company with experience in emergency management and planning.

In recent years, Xpera has been contracted to support people displaced by wildfires in Ontario and Manitoba.

“Our primary role is to maintain a safe and stable well-run shelter environment," said Jason Dumbreck, the company's senior vice president on CBC's London Morning.

"We’re going to help [residents] to connect with housing, health and social services. We’re not looking to take over some of these key social services that are performed by the professionals in the greater London area that already do this.”

Some of those local service agencies are already involved, including Ark Aid Mission, which will be delivering meals to the site each day.

Other services and supports will be added as people move in, said City of London staff Chris Green, the project lead for the site. This could include employment services and housing services to help get people back on their feet.

Additional services are also in place which will operate in conjunction with Xpera, including snow and garbage removal as well as pest control, he added.

Even if not directly involved, local agencies have been instrumental in providing feedback on the city's plans for the site, according to Kevin Dickens, the deputy city manager for social and health development.

"We've been fortunate to lean on our community partners every step of the way," he said.

"From the types of training we should have in place, considerations around participant selection, feedback on where trailers are positioned, where the washrooms are positioned, the site layout, and discussions around lighting and cameras."