Worlds collide: Why encampments may be setting up closer to residential neighbourhoods

Worlds may be about to collide in the city of London’s efforts to fight homelessness.

A new staff report calls for homeless encampments to be allowed even closer to residential neighbourhoods, reducing the buffer zone from 100 metres to 25 metres.

For couple Antonio and Maria Alas, this is disheartening news. They’ve lived in their Watson Street home for 23 years, but in just the last three years encampments have started popping up at the nearby Watson Street Park, just off of Wellington Road in Soho.

“It’s scary,” said Maria. “Because before it was peaceful until after they settled in the park on Watson. One time they [broke into] in our backyard, they stole stuff, and my neighbour too… they [entered their] garage and they stole mostly everything… it was really bad,” she explained.

The elderly couple has even had to deal directly with violence, said Maria.

“One of the guys living in the park attacked him (Antonio) with a knife. Because he has problem with hearing, and they were demanding money, and he didn’t hear that. And when you got closer, he pulled a knife and start attacking him,” she said.

Maria and Antonio Alas at their Watson Street home, October 25, 2024 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

Meanwhile, just off Wharncliffe Road, Chris Sinclair, who lives rough, told CTV News he’s just trying to survive. He’s been staying at a busy encampment at Evergreen Park with his two dogs.

“They bring bagged lunches down here and stuff like that, so that’s why I’m sticking around this area,” said Sinclair. “We’re not getting pushed out, we’re not bothering people near their lawns - but I really wish there was more shelters and more places for these young guys, they shouldn’t be out here,” he added.

Finding the balance between helping those in need and making sure area residents feel safe is proving a formidable challenge for city staff.

Kevin Dickins, Deputy City Manager, Social and Health Development, said it would be easier to help those in encampments, if the encampments were easier to reach. That’s partly why he’d like to see encampments allowed closer to neighbourhoods.

Evergreen Park, October 25, 2024 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

“And so, when we move those people repeatedly, we push them further away, both from a trust and relationship standpoint, but also from a physical standpoint where it becomes very difficult to either traverse the terrain to get to them, but also to get those services and those resources to them,” he explained.

Councillors are also being asked to approve funding to continue service depots until the end of 2025 at a cost of $2.5 million.

Meanwhile, Ark Aid Street Mission is seeking $4.3 million dollars annually to keep shelter beds open at its William Street location until March, 2027.

London Mayor Josh Morgan said municipal tax-payers can’t be asked to take on the fight against homelessness alone. He’s calling on senior governments to step up with funding.

“I have no intention of wanting to use the operating budget, contingency reserve, or municipal dollars to continue to fund these. I think we need to continue to create a backstop for the funding, but ultimately ask for the resources to come from the allocations that other levels of government have already agreed to,” said Morgan.

The Whole of Community Response – Community Encampment Plan goes before council’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting next Tuesday, October 29.