Outreach workers express concern over decision to expand encampment restrictions

On the frontlines of London, Ont.’s homelessness crisis, council’s recent decision to further restrict the places where encampments are permitted is causing concern and confusion.

John and Elyse are outreach workers that offer support and basic needs to Londoners in encampments on behalf of Ark Aid Street Mission.

Two days after council extended the setback distances beyond the recommendations of experts in the Whole of Community Response to Homelessness, the outreach team is still determining the impact on specific encampments they serve.

“It’s even [fewer] places for a community that's already told they don't belong,” Elyse told CTV News. “So they are told to move, move again, move again. That can't create stability.”

John added that the overlapping restrictions make it hard to tell people where to move their tents to avoid violating the new guidelines, “We don't have a definitive answer where to move them, you know what I mean? So all I can tell them is to please come to (Cronyn) Warner. Please come to the Ark.”

On Tuesday, council approved the Community Encampment Response Plan after making several amendments to the location guidelines based on feedback received from homeowners and businesses.

Tents and makeshift shelters are not allowed:

• within 150 metres of an elementary school or daycare (initial recommendation 50 metres)
• within 100 metres of a private residential property with a dwelling (initial recommendation 10 metres)
• within 100 metres of playgrounds, pools, splash pads, sports fields, golf courses (initial recommendation 5 metres to 50 metres)

City staff determined the new restrictions will prohibit encampments on 80 per cent to 85 per cent of parkland in the city.

“Having 15 per cent of our park land available for encampments leaves us with very few options and leaves people unsheltered,” said Sarah Campbell, executive director of Ark Aid Street Mission. “They’ll be out in open spaces and not able to be supported well.”

Some recommended restrictions endorsed by council also include:

• not inside off-leash dog parks
• not in cemeteries
• not in community gardens
• not on sidewalks or paths, in municipal parking lots, or under bridges
• not in doorways and blocking accessibility ramps
• not in other areas posing a safety risk (flooding, slope instability, etc.)

After the council meeting, Mayor Josh Morgan emphasized that the setback distances are guidelines, not firm rules.

If problems do emerge, he said council can consider making changes.

“I think we'll have to wait to see how staff operationalize this to see if there's any significant challenges with implementing that,” Morgan told CTV News after the council meeting.

In addition to the expanded setback distances, there are also 14 parks and public spaces on a no-go list, plus tents are not allowed on sidewalks, pathways, in doorways, or public parking lots.

Encampments violating the no-go zones will risk rapid removal by the city’s Community Informed Response (CIR) Team, outreach workers, by-law enforcement, and police if needed.

John suggests it’s a complex and confusing policy for those experiencing homelessness to navigate.

“They don't have cell phones (and) they don’t have measuring tapes. They're ‘guesstimating’ everything. They're looking at an area and all they can do is guess. There's no definitive answers,” he added.

Elyse said removing an encampment means disrupting a person’s life and survival system, ”We deal with a lot of anger, very, very high emotions because they have nobody. They have lost everything. They can't even find a safe space to sleep.”