Region implements new policy to treat those experiencing homelessness with more respect
The region has put in place a new policy for making decisions around housing encampments, with the goal of treating people with more respect.
According to the policy, eviction will be a last resort, and it will require more regional officials to be involved in making decisions around people living rough on regional land.
Regional council will also need to be notified of eviction notices.
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Outreach and providing supports will be prioritized, with the first approach sending out workers to develop relationships with people living in encampments.
“People cannot be forced to go into shelters. There is shelter space. We, at the region, continue to invest to make sure there's adequate shelter space and a variety of shelter locations for people who may choose after living rough, to go into them,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman, while on the Mike Farwell Show on CityNews 570 on Monday.
She said outreach workers are needed to direct people to counselling and the CTS is very important in Kitchener.
The region's jurisdiction is only regionally owned land, and Redman said evictions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
“To say that there's going to be a blanket moratorium, I don't know that that's in the best interest of the community, of the people living in encampments, and the people that are concerned that there are services available that are being funded by tax dollars,” she said.
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Redman said there are private land owners that get very upset and concerned about encampments.
The region has also invested money to create 2,500 affordable housing units over five years, as well as for upstream services.
The new policy came around three weeks after widespread public outcry against the region's removal of an encampment at Stirling Avenue and Charles Street, where police participated and heavy equipment was used.
The removal prompted an apology by the region's CAO Bruce Lauckner.
An online petition calling on the region to put a moratorium on evictions of housing encampments has reached nearly 1,300 signatures.
