Local groups say region hasn't consulted with them when suggesting people in encampments move

People living at the encampment at Victoria and Weber streets in Kitchener have been offered other options for housing, the region says.

But the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region and Waterloo Region Community Legal Services say they weren't consulted about that and they need answers from the region about what's going on.

There are fewer than 15 tents at the encampment near the train station. The area has seen some changes in recent weeks, including orange and white barricades set up near the tents.

The region's manager of corporate communications, Lynsey Slupeiks, says the barriers are to keep people safe and separate the tents from the driveway area.

On top of that, Slupeiks said there have been talks with the people who remain on the site about other living options.

"Our community partners have been talking with individuals at encampments across the region to help them transition to safer accommodations," Slupeiks told CBC News in an email.

"A number of offers have been accepted for interim housing solutions, including cabins at the outdoor shelter on Erb's Road. Individuals will be supported in their move to the site according to their needs."

Following up with region for answers

But when asked whether they'd been involved in the process of offering housing to people at the encampment, both David Alton of the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region and Shannon Down of Waterloo Region Community Legal Services said they were not.

Alton said the centre is part of the region's encampment operations table.

"At that table we have been raising concerns about how the desire to voluntarily close encampments leads to pressures on current, new and returning residents and increases the risk of their rights being violated," Alton told CBC News in an email.

Down said the legal service has "had no involvement in the recent changes at 100 Victoria Street."

"We are in the process of engaging with residents to find out what they are being told and we are following up with the region to find out what is happening," Down said in an email.

"As far as we are concerned, a withdrawal of services to the encampment or any coercive approach would be a breach of the region's encampment policy and a violation of the Charter Rights of the encampment residents."

Roos Island encampment

This week, fencing and a gate went up on a bridge to Roos Island in Kitchener's Victoria Park. The city said it was to protect the people living on the island and give them privacy as many of them had agreed to move into other housing.

Down was able to gain access to the site to talk to people living there on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, three tents remained on Roos Island.

Alton said the City of Kitchener is also on the region's encampment operations table and the decision to ask people to leave the park "is a violation of their human rights" under a decision from a Kitchener judge in January.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice M.J. Valente's ruling said the region couldn't evict people living in an encampment on regionally owned property unless it had enough shelter space for everyone who is experiencing homelessness in the region.

When it comes to the encampment at 100 Victoria Street as well as others in the community, "we are strongly urging the region to incorporate a human rights approach into their future decision making about encampments," Alton said.

Both the city and region said people are not being evicted. Rather, they say, the people are being given other options for housing and many are accepting those offers.