Cambridge community safety town hall raises concerns about the region’s approach to address homelessness

The community has shone a light on the homelessness crisis in Waterloo Region.

Several Cambridge residents had questions for the city and the region at Monday’s community safety town hall meeting.

This came after an encampment was cleared at 150 Main Street at the end of last month.

“I can appreciate what [the region] tried to do at 150 Main Street in giving people a place to go and stay, but that didn’t work,” said Sara Cholack, one of the speakers.

Amanda Speed is currently experiencing homelessness, and she enlightened the room about the reality she’s facing.

“Now that the 150 Main encampment has been closed, where do we go? Winter’s coming, it’s cold already, where are we supposed to go? We just got kicked out of Soper Park. We have to be out in a week. So where are we going?”

This led to a back and forth between Speed and the region’s Commissioner of Community Services Peter Sweeney. Sweeney said shelter is always offered to those who were displaced from their encampment, but Speed said that’s “a blatant lie.”

Several others also complained about a new, growing encampment in Soper Park. Some claim it to be a direct result of the clearing of 150 Main.

Long-time Galt resident Joanne Malone told the town hall that she frequently walks down the Grand River and that area has also gone downhill.

She asked Regional Police Chief Mark Crowell when the incidents she has been told to report are going to lead to consequences.

“Open drug use, verbal abuse, open drinking,” listed Malone. “The beautiful area by the river from Parkhill to where L.A. Franks is, you talk about creating a safe space. It does feel safe.”

Crowell assured that there are consequences in the form of charges laid, but he did admit that the police have been keeping less people locked while they go through the justice system.

“We can’t simply sweep people off the street to make problems go away,” said Crowell. “We need to find effective, collaborative and compassionate responses.”

Mayor Jan Liggett also intervened with her own comments.

“We’ve been at it for years to get that area cleaned up and we have all failed you,” said Liggett.

Marisa Corbett is a speaker with lived experience, and she demanded answers to what the region is actually doing for her.

“What is the region actually doing to help us homeless? In my opinion, it’s not too much.”

“We’re not doing enough,” replied Sweeney. “I hear you. Two years ago, when we tried to estimate how many people were experiencing homelessness in this community, the number is over a thousand.”

Sweeney added that housing was found for 400 people who were living unsheltered last year and they doubled the size of their shelter system, but homelessness has tripled.

The region also admitted that they need to improve mental health and addiction services. One resident suggested rehabilitation facilities for people with troubling behavior. She said if charges are laid against them, they can be sent to the facility by court order, which benefits community safety and the person.

Staff will take all comments and prepare options for council to consider moving forward into next year.

That takes place during budget deliberations in November.

You can watch the full town hall here.