Kitchner's homeless camp has been allowed to stay — so far

KITCHENER, Ont. — This week, after learning that a community of more than 40 people will be allowed to stay, we rescued the inhabitants of a largehomelesscamp inKitchiner, Ontario. .. How long will you clear it?

Owning the land where the camp is locatedWaterloo areadoes not forcefully clear the collection of tents in downtown the city, but there Look to the court to leave the inhabitants.

The area issued an eviction notice on June 6th, warning that residents will leave by Thursday. At that point, they are considered an intrusion.

Read more:The Waterloo area heads to court over a camp without a house in Kitchner

It will be a repeat of what happened in Toronto last summer when violence erupted when police moved to forcibly destroy similar camps, some of the inhabitants said they were worried there. ..

Grace is "really good news", living on the site with her partner Willhouse Said Gend Raper. December.

"I feel good, but I don't know what that means because they say they have to seek legal counsel."

"I'm happy But I didn't mean to leave anyway, "House said.

The Waterloo region said it would take legal action if the inhabitants were not gone by Thursday.

Regional Chair Karen Redman told Canadian press that the region would not force residents out of the camp, but if they did not leave their property, Ontario. He said he would submit the application to the State Superior Court.

"We wanted them to know that we are serious, but it is our intention to always go to court, and by court proceedings, all parties. You can air what you think is the preferred way to move forward, "she said.

Read more: The Waterloo region delivers an expulsion notice to Kitchiner's homeless camp

Redman has tight shelters and motels, leaving room for people living in camps.

Since 2021, 508 people have moved from homeless to permanent homes, 190 households at risk of being expelled have stayed at home with delinquency charges, and 2,626 have been evacuated through local housing prevention and diversion programs. Avoided staying at the place. , She said.

Currently, there are about 1,000 people living on the streets of the area, Redman said, in the camp. He added that he provided a spot for the residents. Somewhere inside.

However, supporters point to the space near the recently closed church and claim that there is not as much space as the area says.

“Just move the deck chair,” said Michelle Mortansen of Outreach Group Going Mobile KW.

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And some of the camps, including drapers and houses, have once been approached from this area with respect to shelters. It says it wasn't there either.

Read more:Waterloo area funding a washroom in a homeless camp in downtown Kitchner

"If they offered it, the motel room," House said. "I wish I had my own bathroom."

The couple first arrived at the scene in December. They lost their home in May 2021 after falling with a friend who had rented a room.

Since then, they have been in and out of shelters, living on the streets for months and in bushes for weeks, they said.

They went out of the soup kitchen in early December. But that didn't last long either. That's when they moved to land across the street, they said.

The house, which has been unable to work for years after breaking its back, helped build a temporary house. rice field.

The top is covered with a sturdy masonry waterproof sheet insulated with a blanket set on a retaining wall made of large stone. Inside there is a bed and sofa, and a "walk-in closet" like a crawl space.

In March, several others appeared and set up tents, the pair said. Shortly thereafter, it swelled from some tents to 20, Draper said.

Read more:Waterloo region opens new emergency shelter in Kitchiner

Over the past few months , She said, they succeeded in building a community where they care for each other.

There are several dining tables, lounge chairs, barbecues, and donation tables for outreach workers who bring food, medicine and clothes day and night.

"Many of us don't have a family or they turn their backs on us, but we found it here," Draper said.

"So when you go out the door and go somewhere, you know someone cares about you coming back."

Britney O'Donnell Lived in a camp last month. She used violence in shelters and routinely stole her belongings. "It's much better here. No one steals mine," she said.

O'Donnell, who previously worked as a nurse, has three children. One day, when her youngest daughter was two years old, she said her partner gave her the opioid painkiller Percoset.

"I felt like a super mom," she said. "I was able to get off and play with my daughter for hours, and the house was clean and tidy."

She started taking another opioid painkiller, OxyContin. Eventually she said she started taking Fentanil.

Read more: Kitchner's temporary shelter will remain open until the end of June

"I was very stupid and naive and I am very stupid," said the 37-year-old woman in tears. "I miss my child. I want to be clean, but it's very difficult to find a cure."

O'Donnell is afraid of shelter and where to go if the area kicks her out. I said I don't know.

Regional Chair Redman said he initially allowed camps unless the region became too large.

Redman said he exceeded that threshold in early June and has grown to nearly 60 people. She said she was also concerned about safety, criminal activity and the health of the population.

Kitchiner Mayor Berry Wurbanovich said the homeless situation was dire and they urgently needed state support.