‘Absolute failure’: Mayor slams status quo and challenges critics of new homelessness proposal to offer alternatives

London’s current strategy to address the homelessness crisis has a new critic — the mayor.

“The status quo is an absolute failure for our city. No one is happy with the way things are right now,” Mayor Josh Morgan told CTV News London.

Morgan admitted the encampment strategy is failing neighbourhoods, businesses, and Londoners living unsheltered.

So he’s backing a proposed update to the encampment strategy and challenging its critics to bring forward better solutions.

“Give us the ideas of what you’d like to see different. Bring us some solutions to this, because we can say there’s a challenge and something needs to change,” Morgan said when asked about recent comments by Coun. Susan Stevenson who represents Old East Village.

“The ward councillor for the area, who is engaged with the community and has spoken to the business community, can give us some suggestions on what she’d like to see,” he added.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, Stevenson pushed for more public input before changing the encampment strategy to include four ‘service depots’ that will offer food, water, hygiene, waste removal and basic supports to people living in tents.

“I do have ideas and suggestions and I’m open to joining in now and I’m open to giving them,” she said in regards to the mayor’s challenge.

But Stevenson wants access to the decision-making groups designing the long-term Whole of Community Response to Homelessness.

So far that’s been resisted by Council and Civic Administration because of concern politicians would bring a power differential to what’s meant to be a community-led process.

She added that Civic Administration’s metaphor that for the sake of expediency the process is ‘building the bridge as they cross it’ risks leaving neighbours and business owners behind.

“We need to take all parties with us,” she said. “We need to move forward as one with the businesses, the neighbourhoods, and the homeless.”

Stevenson cites three businesses that she has learned are planning to leave core business districts because of the drug use and crime, including The Wisdom Tea Shop on Dundas Street.

Owner TaraLee Sanderson said she will operate her online store and eventually seek a new location.

“95 per cent of my foot traffic is displaced people. I have them coming into the shop or blocking the doors,” she said. “I do not want us to be the San Francisco of southwestern Ontario and I think the warning signs are there.”

The mayor said he has heard the uncertainly and anxiety being expressed by many Londoners about the homeless strategies.

He met with the new London Police Chief Thai Truong to emphasize the need to shore up public safety.

“We need to continue to move forward to a better status quo,” asserted Morgan. “That is not going to be a straight line. It is not going to be an easy process and it’s going to have challenges, discussions, and disagreements along the way.”

The final public input session about the hub location criteria will be held on June 26 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kiwanis Seniors’ Community Centre on Riverside Drive.