Londoners air frustrations as city officials reveal plan for homeless camps

Some Londoners expressed frustration over the impacts homeless encampments are having in downtown and Old East Village, as city officials and outreach workers presented a proposed plan to transition people from tents  and into highly supportive housing.

Dozens attended a public engagement session at Earl Nichols Recreation Centre on Tuesday, where they asked questions and suggested solutions on how unsheltered people can be best supported. Others shared safety concerns they have for residents and businesses. 

"We've been seeing things deteriorate year over year and it's just one area of the city where they're putting everything, so we're here because we want answers," said Old East Village resident Deborah Hesselmans.

"We've gone to all the meetings to find out what is happening to help these people that are on the streets, but everything seems to be failing or falling behind and we're just really tired of what we're having to put up with in our own communities."

Hesselmans said she understands that people living in encampments have nowhere to go but feels the over-saturation of encampments and social agencies in east London are adding to an already struggling neighbourhood. She wants to see a sanctioned encampment area out of the core, where people can access supports on site. 

City staff and members from London Cares and London InterCommunity Health Centre told the community their encampment strategy focuses on:

• Transformational outreach - helping people with complex needs by providing case management and help with navigating systems to move out of encampments. 
• Transactional outreach - wellness checks, harm reduction and providing people with essential items like food, water and other basic needs. 
• Encampment safety protocols - to set parameters on locations and number of encampments, and address issues including human trafficking, violence, and fire safety.

"This is not a plan to create more encampments, I want to be very clear about that," Kevin Dickins, the city's deputy manager of social and health development, told the crowd. "It's not a straight line. We didn't get here overnight and we're not getting out of it overnight." 

Officials presented a list of rules for encampments, as well as places where camping isn't permitted, and are asking Londoners for their input. 

Number of homeless on a decrease, says deputy manager

The city has almost 2,000 unhoused individuals in its database, but the number is decreasing monthly, Dickins said.  

Nearly 100 highly supportive housing units have been established in the past year, with more than fifty more expected by the end of spring, Dickins said, making progress on the city's goal of 600 units in the next three years. 

Mel Sheehan has been homeless and has friends who still live rough. While she doesn't believe encampments are a sustainable solution, she's glad to see there's a plan coming forward and feedback being collected, she said. 

"I understand that encampments are a last resort. They're not supposed to be a regular thing but unfortunately they are having to be because of gaps elsewhere. They are a health and safety hazard for a lot of people but they don't have any other options so they're stuck," she said. 

 "I'm cautiously optimistic [of the city's plan]. I want to be confident that at the end of it, most people will be housed due to the highly supportive housing pathways."

Victor Soga worries the presence of several encampments is impacting his downtown condo's property value and the senior fears this will affect his family's future. The city should give tax credits to homeowners in downtown who are equally struggling, he said.

"People are always lingering around our building or trying to break in," he said. "We're paying the same property tax as people in Byron, Masonville, or Oakridge and [the city] needs to recognize that downtown residents are suffering."

A second community engagement session will take place on Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at East Lions Community Centre.