St. Catharines city staff are recommending $500,000 be allocated in the capital budget to set up a public washroom.
General Committee debated the need for a self-contained, self-cleaning unit and potential placement for the facilities last night.
Initially Councillor Greg Miller put forward an amendment to place the washroom in the Queenston Street area near Centennial Gardens after receiving a letter from the Queenston Neighbours expressing concerns regarding consistent access to public washrooms.
The group says they have had to clean human waste off their properties and turn away people asking to use private facilities during the course of the pandemic.
Committee ultimately voted against the Queenston Street placement but councillors supported the overall idea, pointing out COVID-19 has highlighted the need for proper infrastructure to support community hygiene and cleanliness.
Councillor Karrie Porter says, "When the pandemic hit in March, there was literally nowhere to go. Restaurants and shops were closed. The people who suffered the most were homeless people. Building public washrooms for all is not hard. It is a class issue, equity issue and a public health issue...We don't all have access to the same treatment on private property or the ability to buy something in order to be given the right to use a private bathroom facility."
The placement will be determined following community consultation.