Encampments now part of the 'fabric' of London and other cities, city hall says
City staff are predicting another summer of encampments in public parks and along the Thames River.
During a committee meeting on Tuesday, council was told that the decline in encampments witnessed this winter won’t be sustained as the weather improves.
“We went into the winter with over 100 active encampments. We currently have over 40 active encampments [and] we are anticipating those numbers to increase,” admitted Deputy City Manager of Social and Health Development Kevin Dickins.
In 2023, there were 3,527 responses to encampment complaints in London.
Brenda Smith-Huie lives near a frequent encampment site in SOHO.
“We do need to have some issues solved here, because it’s just getting worse and worse and worse,” she told CTV News London. “The garbage is ridiculous.”
Dickins told council to expect some of the more successful strategies to return from last summer, including service depots that bring basic needs like water and food directly to people living in encampments.
At the same time, work is underway on the city's new Encampment Strategy due before council in June.
The strategy is still under development, but currently has four draft pillars:
- Transactional outreach
- Weather impacts
- Encampment protocols
- Pathways to housing
“The Encampment Strategy is a long-term vision for our community on how we address encampments,” explained Dickins. “[Encampments] are here to stay. They are the fabric of every municipality now. What is our strategy to support them and address them?”
It’s a question neighbours want answered soon.
“I feel bad for the homeless. It’s not their issue, it’s a city issue and we need to clean it up,” said Smith-Huie.
By the end of last year, there were an estimated 1,700 to 2,100 Londoners experiencing homelessness — approximately 600 of whom are considered to have high needs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Eating disorders among youth skyrocketed during pandemic and so did associated costs, report finds
The number of young people experiencing eating disorders surged during the height of the pandemic as the social and economic costs skyrocketed too, a new pan-Canadian report has found.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.