Homeless in Hamilton: Dog attacks, trashed belongings, bitter cold

Roberto Ferreira was already homeless and freezing in a Hamilton park when things took a vicious turn for the worse.

Not once - but twice - this week a pit bull charged out of nowhere and mauled him.

In the two attacks, I have a total of 30 bites, so about 60 holes at least," Ferreira said Friday outside his tent at Myrtle Park.

The first time, the dog tore into his arm, leaving him bloodied, but the 34-year-old patched himself up.

That was bad enough, but two days later, it showed up again and charged toward him.

I threw it off me and it yanked all the meat off of my arm."

But the dog was relentless, biting into his leg and buttocks as he hopped a fence to get away.

Early the next morning, after passing out, Ferreira walked to the Hamilton General Hospital emergency department.

Now, his body stitched up and discoloured, he's back at the tent he shares with his girlfriend in the St. Clair neighbourhood park.

Ferreira couldn't have predicted the dog attacks, but he also says he never imagined winding up living in a tent.

But since losing his apartment, after he was sidelined from his roofing job with two broken feet, his life took a spiral.

These are the types of things I thought I would never face in my life."

Tents pitched in parks and other green spaces in Hamilton have become blatant reminders of a homelessness crisis that's grown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This past fall, the number of people living in tents or sleeping rough hovered around 100.

Now, in the depths of winter, there are fewer, but people are still outside - in tents or huddled in stairwells - as shelters fill and grapple with coronavirus outbreaks.

Following a court case this past fall that sided with the city, regular bylaw enforcement resumed to clear parks of tents.

As of Dec. 16, bylaw officers had achieved voluntary compliance" from residents to leave 19 encampments on public property, resulting in the removal of 76 tents.

Asked if enforcement would continue amid the frigid weather and lack of indoor options, the city said bylaw officers would continue to investigate" sites but also contact street outreach teams.

Staff continue to evaluate each site to determine the best strategy to move forward to gain voluntary compliance."

The city says the approximate cost of bylaw staff's time at encampments was $137,000 in 2021. The rough public works tab was about $31,000, and $66,000 for contracted cleanup services, both between Oct. 1 and Dec. 21.

Meanwhile, with shelters halting admissions to handle coronavirus outbreaks during an Omicron-driven fifth wave while coping with staffing shortages, the desperation mounts.

It's like there's nowhere for us to go," said Gregory Jacob Knox outside city hall, where people have hunkered down around a vent that blows warm air at the back entrance.

Knox, 30, said he'd tried two shelters but couldn't secure a bed due to the outbreak restrictions.

I don't really know what to do," he said, noting he used to pitch tents but was forced to pack up and leave more than once.

Encampment clearings - which are led by bylaw officers but also draw on police - have been a flashpoint of public debate.

Some residents have complained to city politicians about fires, debris, noise and open drug use in neighbourhood parks.

But others have called upon councillors to halt the displacement of encampment residents, a practice they argue leads to greater hardship amid a lack of acceptable alternatives.

City officials have highlighted the efforts of housing staff and agency partners to direct people indoors during the pandemic.

But they have also flagged a shortage of spaces, especially in the women's shelter system, and lack of provincially funded health services to help keep those with the most acute needs off the street.

In December, council approved millions in spending for a variety of short-term enhancements to Hamilton's homeless-serving system.

On Friday, the city didn't respond to The Spectator's questions about what action was being taken to address the current space crunch and outbreak challenges.

Tents aren't the solution, says Marcie McIlveen, outreach co-ordinator with the Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team.

But taking a tent is also not the answer," she added.

However, if the city can't meet (people's) needs, let them meet their own needs," added McIlveen, whose organization was involved in the fall court case.

It might not look the way you want it to, or as society wants it to ... but it will look like what works for them."

Even if there are beds available, some encampment residents cite a range of reasons for not staying in shelters, including violence, mental-health issues, or loss of autonomy due to curfews and rules.

Ferreira boils down his aversion to shelters to two factors: drug use and thievery.

But - in addition to the dog attack - he has also suffered losses staying outside.

During a stint at Beasley Park, intruders raided his tent while he was away visiting his 10-year-old son.

They were all high on crack and they were just sitting in my tent. They just destroyed everything and just claimed it."

And Ferreira shakes his head thinking about that dog owner, whom he doesn't know.

He comes to a kids' park with a pit bull with no leash? I don't understand."

On the flip side, Ferreira has witnessed the generosity of strangers.

This park, in particular, every neighbour is fantastic. They come by and bring meals all the time."

Ferreira says he could cover rent through roofing jobs, but he's struggled to secure a place in Hamilton's escalated market.

The stumbling blocks have been credit checks and intense competition for units, he says.

I've offered people three or four months in advance and they won't give me an apartment," said Ferreira, a look of tired desperation in his eyes.

And now, with the fresh wounds, roofing will have to wait. Moreover, a tent is no place to heal.

Of course not. It's what it is. I don't know."

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com