This space is limited, but I wanted to comment again on homelessness and encampments in Cornwall. The information here might be brief, but if you have questions, or want clarity on anything I’ve written here, please reach out. Alternatively, I was also able to provide more information during a recent Monday Morning Motivation interview with the Seeker that I participated in.
74. This is the number of individuals that the City of Cornwall has gotten off the streets and into housing since 2023. By housing I mean a secure place, with a roof and a locked door. Somewhere to call home, even temporarily, where they do not need to leave with all their belongings daily. A place where they can receive the help they need, including mental health and medical treatments. A place where they can get back on their feet.
$49.7 million. This is the amount that the City of Cornwall, along with the United Counties of SD&G has spent on housing in our area since 2022. This number, which doesn’t include the cost of Parisien Manor, represents 143 new units, with 94 already built and 49 more to come. On top of these, there are more projects in the pipeline which have yet to be announced, which will add additional units. Parisien Manor accounts for a further 30 units.
In addition to these numbers, we have also previously partnered with the Agapè Centre to open overnight during extreme cold weather events last winter. For this winter we are looking at options. We are also exploring further partnerships with other non-profits.
Hundreds of hours have been spent by Council, Administration and more specifically, our Housing team in our Human Services Department on the issue of Encampments and Homelessness. Whenever someone says, “The City isn’t doing anything”, it’s far from the truth. But why are people saying this?
It’s because the work being done isn’t always seen. In fact, it’s rarely seen. You won’t see social media posts when individuals are moved to housing. Or when meetings on this subject are held. You will see them only for milestone projects, like the opening of buildings. This is because we are focused on the work. This work involves compassion and a respect for privacy.
The question I see most frequently is “Why are people allowed in the park?”. The Ontario Superior Court has ruled that housing, including tents, is a protected right under Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The ruling specifically indicates that that tents are permitted on public land. Municipalities can set reasonable restrictions, but not outright bans.
Our legal counsel, including BLG, and now our internal counsel, have reviewed the court rulings and made recommendations which are now our Encampment By-Law. The City cannot violate court rulings. We cannot override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; we cannot use the Notwithstanding Clause. I cannot use my Strong Mayor Powers to forcibly remove people. These are the facts.
Now, there have been social media posts about incidents. I encourage everyone to call the police to report these incidents. Sometimes they are not reported and without these reports, the police cannot take proper action. In the interim, police have stepped up their patrols in the park.
There are some individuals who have refused our help. Once they do, we cannot force them to accept help. Others, regrettably, have been asked to leave our housing portfolio for a specific reason. Once they have been asked to leave, they cannot return. They have exhausted all options that we can provide.
In many other larger cities, there are other organizations, like non-profits, operating housing. We don’t have that in Cornwall. Yet. There are some organizations working towards this goal as I write this.
We’ve had a lot of questions about what happened in Barrie. It’s important to look at the facts. Barrie has a population of just under 150,000. They have over 670 homeless individuals. Originally, they designated a large encampment, which was permitted before the Court rulings. It was in this encampment that a double homicide took place, weapons and drug trafficking were discovered, and extremely high levels of E. Coli in the water were discovered. This led to the disbandment of the encampment and the Declaration of Emergency. It’s a very different situation, and a Declaration of Emergency is a very serious step that requires certain criteria to be met. We are not there.
At the end of the day, we are doing everything that we can within the bounds of the law. We have numerous people who are working diligently day in and day on this issue, and have committed substantial resources to the issue of homelessness. I know some will say that it’s not enough. To that I say: Homelessness is not a problem that is solved overnight. Many municipalities across Ontario have struggled with it for much longer than we have. We will continue our work and continue to approach the issue with thoughtful, practical, long-term solutions. There is much more to be done, and this will take time. It continues to be a top priority for us.
L’article Homelessness and Encampments est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
