‘It’s sad’: Homeless residents uprooted from months-long east Hamilton encampment
The clutch of tents that Marielle Servais called home just steps away from flattened subsidized housing in east Hamilton is no more.
It's sad," said Servais amid the grinding clatter of an excavator clearing away the remains of the encampment on a slushy February evening.
The setup had been a fixture on the grassy rise beside an entrance to the Red Hill Valley recreational trail off Queenston Road since June.
Residents came and went, but Servais was one of a small, core group of long-haulers that stuck it out as the weather turned from scorching hot to freezing cold.
They used propane burners to keep the tents warm. They ran a generator to power cellphones and provide lighting. Other items, such as a kitchen pantry nailed to a tree, offered more makeshift utility.
During this time, the CityHousing townhouses behind them were knocked down to make way for a future mixed-income redevelopment. A new subsidized apartment building has risen on the site as part of the project, which is a city partnership with private developers.
I think we're the only encampment that they let linger this long," Servais said.
Enforcement of a bylaw that prohibits the pitching of tents in city parks has been a bone of contention.
Housing advocates, outreach workers and medical professionals have pointed to the displacement and hardship it causes amid a lack of viable housing options.
Some councillors, meanwhile, have echoed complaints of constituents, ranging from trash to fires and noise, while pointing to a lack of provincial health dollars to help keep people housed.
The city says its outreach team was at the Red Hill site regularly since summer and at least twice a day all week in the past month to offer shelter options to people there.
Servais said the five remaining residents would spend the night with friends and relatives before moving into the basement of a house they plan to renovate for the owner. It all came together in the end."
Servais has described the tight-knit group as her safety net" and noted her fear of separating from her partner to stay in separate gender-specific shelters.
In December, pending a safety review, the city halted a program for couples in hotel rooms amid concerns over domestic violence.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, shelters have grappled with outbreaks - a factor that has further limited access during this winter's rush for beds.
Some people who live on the streets are temporarily barred from shelters due to behaviour that can be tied to mental illness or addiction. Others say they worry about theft, violence and pests.
The numbers have been higher, but as of this week, the city says it knows of roughly nine to 13 encampments.
According to the city's most recently verified data, 485 households - which represent more than 1,059 people who were homeless - moved into housing from January 2020 through September 2021. That includes apartments, shared accommodations with roommates or partners, or rooming houses.
Between January 2020 and October 2021, the city's street outreach program interacted with more than 565 people in encampments, housing services notes. Of those, 81 were housed through support programs and more than 430 accessed shelters.
There is a gap" in programs to help keep the most vulnerable off the streets, housing services said in an email.
We know the solution to homelessness for those approximately 100 individuals in our community with complex health and addiction needs is supportive housing and we have an evidenced-informed plan for this."
Last month, the city, along with other local institutions including hospitals, made a $5-million pitch for provincial health dollars to help 100 people into sustainable housing.
Servais said bylaw officers have been patient, even though forcing them to leave makes little sense to her. Last Friday, they received word they'd have to leave Wednesday, she said.
The trucks arrived at 9 a.m. but staff gave them time to sort through their belongings. We got to save most of it."
Volunteers with the Hamilton Encampment Support Network helped transport belongings to a storage locker. The city pitched in on that front, as well.
We've been blessed," Servais said.
But amid the scramble to clear out, one of her friends suffered multiple seizures due to the stress, she said. Paramedics were there to make sure he was OK.
It's so hard," said Servais, fighting back tears, before adding, A new chapter, right?"
Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com