Hamilton’s encampment crisis has been years in the making

Don Seymour wasn't surprised when people started pitching tents across from the Wesley Day Centre on Ferguson Avenue North in the middle of the COVID-19 shutdown.

I know something was going to happen across the street from the day centre because we have showers, bathrooms and food," said Seymour, executive director of Wesley Urban Ministries, which runs the social-services hub with partners.

But encampments have existed for years - just not as visibly as now - and the conditions that have led to the homelessness crisis have festered for decades.

Federal investments into affordable housing have waned while rents in the private market have outstripped social-assistance rates and wages.

Roughly 80 per cent of people who wind up homeless face economic challenges, says Steve Pomeroy, senior research fellow at Carleton University's Centre for Urban Research and Education.

Once you get evicted a couple of times, it's pretty tough to get a reference from a landlord. You kind of spiral downward into that homeless system."

A lack of funding for mental-health and addictions programs has further contributed to the homeless ranks.

Housing and social-service agencies badly need funding and resources from the health sector, says Medora Uppal, YWCA Hamilton's director of operations.

Often housing-support providers are tasked with doing it all. And we can't do it all."

Sectors have worked in silos for too long, says Uppal, who's hopeful ongoing Hamilton Health Team talks can break down barriers.

The city also says health dollars are required to help house people with complex issues.

The need for supportive housing is continuing to more dramatically outstrip our supply," Paul Johnson, general manager of healthy and safe communities, told councillors Friday.

This demands a reset" with health partners to provide services to successfully house people, he said. We don't have a funding model that does sustain that."

During the pandemic, the city has found itself at odds with a coalition of doctors, lawyers and street outreach workers over the dismantlement of encampments.

Coun. Jason Farr, who has referred to them as a Wild West" scenario, has fielded complaints from constituents about safety concerns, debris and open drug use.

The city tries to find people shelter beds, hotels or housing but ultimately enforces bylaws that prohibit pitching tents in public spaces.

The coalition argues nobody should be moved involuntarily without acceptable housing options in place and has secured a court injunction that bars the city from doing so until early September.

Councillors met in camera to hear a legal update on the injunction late Friday.

When they emerged, they voted to keep the advice confidential but in a news release, the city noted it was gathering further evience to challenge the current injunction ..."

Council asked Johnson for an overiew of the work the city has done during the pandemic.

Right from the outset, the city enabled the shelter network to ensure physical distancing and secured hotel rooms, he said.

Its street outreach team and partners have worked with people who sleep in tents, Johnson said.

The group continues to engage people on the street and the goal always is to help people become aware of potential options for them."

In the release, the city said nobody has been refused" a shelter bed or hotel room due to capacity issues" since April 1.

Not everyone wants or is able to stay in shelters due to addiction or mental-health issues.

I think we really just need to identify a piece of land or two and sanction them and have services," Seymour said, noting dismantlement has only displaced people to other sites.

Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk, who runs a clinic at the day centre and is a member of the coalition, says no question" having her patients in one place rather than sleeping rough throughout the city has led to striking" health benefits.

That includes prenatal care, treating wounds or starting people on methadone and other medication, she said. These are the mental-health medications they need in order to get and stay housed."

The city says it has made headway during the pandemic: of roughly 100 portable rental supplements - subsidies for use in private market units - 80 or so have gone to people or families who were homeless.

The city's by-name priority list, which includes people who access outreach programs and shelters, offers a sense of how many are homeless at any time.

Right now, it includes 1,225 people. Not all are chronically homeless (six times or more in the past year). In February 2019, for instance, 481 were considered as such out of 1,098.

During the pandemic, shelters have seen fewer unique clients" compared to the same time last year but longer stays," housing director Edward John noted in an email.

While family and youth homelessness have been very low" during the pandemic, the rate for single women and men has been much higher than usual," John said.

To allow for physical distancing in the men's system, the city opened a surge" shelter for men at FirstOntario Place, which is to return to its arena use by fall.

A plan is afoot to turn the former Cathedral Boys' Catholic high school at 378 Main St. E. into a temporary replacement. Good Shepherd is at the helm.

Last week, Nrinder Nann, councillor for Ward 3, John, the city's housing director, and Katherine Kalinowski, Good Shepherd's chief operating officer, fielded concerns from Stinson residents over a potential rise in crime and arrival of tents.

We want to be a positive presence in any neighbourhood that we operate in and not create problems," Kalinowski told an online forum.

Seymour suggests innovative programs, such as modular homes - prefab units that are quick to assemble - with support services.

It would still be infinitely less expensive than these people on the merry-go-round of homelessness, jail, hospital, homelessness, jail, hospital."

Coun. Chad Collins said Friday he's planning to introduce a motion that deals with modular homes.

Collins, who also expressed frustration over delays in federal dollars for CityHousing, predicted a tsunami of demand" for affordable units and homeless services due to the pandemic-induced downturn.

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com