City seeking ‘compassion, dignity and safety’ with Waterloo Park encampment

“Compassion, dignity, and safety” are the priorities for the City of Waterloo as it engages with a new encampment for people experiencing homelessness.

The camp has been set up in Waterloo Park, and a statement from city hall explained the municipality’s approach to the situation.

It said staff are already working with an outreach team from the Region of Waterloo to connect encampment residents with access to shelter, housing and other community resources.

The statement said, “Our goal is to approach the situation with compassion and respect, while also maintaining the safety and accessibility of public spaces for everyone.”

The city is asking all residents and visitors to Waterloo Park to give the people in the encampment and the outreach workers “space to work together.”

570 NewsRadio asked the city for certain specifics, but the statement sent to us in reply did not say how many encampment residents are in the park, describing them only as “some individuals who have set up temporary shelters.”

As for when the encampment began, the statement only said, “With the changing season, previously secluded spaces within the park are now more visible.”

The statement ended with, “Our approach prioritizes compassion, dignity and safety for everyone involved.”

570 NewsRadio also reached out to Waterloo Regional Police Service to see if they’ve been contacted by the city to assist with the camp in any way, or if there have been, or are any active investigations connected to the encampment.

Police have not responded to those questions at this time.

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