Staff say that the pilot was successful in preventing “entrenched encampments”. The permanent program will cost $1.3 million a year to run. Photo credit: Global News
The homeless encampment debate has been one of the major issues discussed by recent City Councils, particularly with the pandemic and ongoing affordable housing crisis exacerbating the situation.
As such, the current Hamilton Council recently debated the encampment issue and voted on some key policies.
First, in January, Councillors heard a report from community organisations. The groups highlighted one of the complexities of the homelessness situation.
They interviewed 57 people who have lived in encampments and found that only 19 per cent would take an emergency shelter space if one was available.
The report identified that some have experienced violence or theft in emergency shelters. Others object to pet restrictions and/or drug use restrictions that are in place at shelters.
In February, Council then heard a report from City staff regarding the results of the city’s Encampment Coordination Team pilot program. The pilot ran from April to December 2022.
Outreach staff try to find people housing while officers are used to provide safety to outreach workers and break up encampments if they become too entrenched in places like public parks.
Staff say that the program was successful in preventing “entrenched encampments” and helped to house 12 people.
City staff recommended that Council extend the pilot until the end of April 2023.
Staff also recommended that Council expand the pilot and make the program permanent.
A permanent program involves hiring multiple new employees including two new full-time managers for housing services, 3.5 outreach staff, two bylaw officers, a parks supervisor, and two police officers.
The staff recommendations were first debated at Hamilton’s General Issues Committee. The Committee voted to extend the pilot, but a decision to make the program permanent failed in a 7-7 tied vote.
The objecting Councillors feel the permanent program is too heavily focused on enforcement of city bylaws. They generally oppose encampment clearings, even when they occupy public parks.
But Committee decisions have to be ratified by Council as a whole and Councillors ultimately voted on February 8 to extend the pilot to the end of April 2023 and then make the expanded program permanent.
However, they also directed staff to consult with community organisations and report back with recommendations on how to craft a protocol that is more focused on accommodation rather than enforcement.
It remains to be seen what staff will propose.
The extension of the pilot to the end of April cost the City $350,000, while the permanent program will cost $1.3 million a year.
At this point in time the Encampment Coordination Team continues to have the ability to issue trespass notices against encampment residents within 72 hours of a complaint.
The City says that there are currently about 40 people living in “entrenched encampments.”
Overall, outreach workers believe that there are up to 100 people living on Hamilton streets.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
