City shifts gears on addressing homeless camps throughout Winnipeg

With makeshift tents and structures popping up around Winnipeg, the city is changing its tactics on dealing with complaints about homeless camps.

Initial plans to outsource the cleanup and dismantling of the camps have been scrapped, after the idea met with a strong backlash from the public.

Main Street Project will now be notified of reports of camps instead, changes Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman said should help take low-priority calls off the already full plate of the Winnipeg Police Service, as well as help to break the cycle of poverty by directing the calls to the right resources.

“Prior to this change, essentially what happens is calls come into 311 regarding things like homeless shelters on public property, and the calls are being directed to the public service or the Winnipeg Police Service,” Bowman told Global News.

“These calls are now being directed to the Main Street Project, so that they can assess the situation to see if they’re in a position to assist individuals who might be homeless.”

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Bowman said minimizing police resources is not only the appropriate choice when it comes to homeless camps, but it’s also a much more affordable option for Winnipeg taxpayers.

“We want to try to find ways in which the right resources are deployed at the right time by the right agency,” he said.

Cindy Titus from Main Street Project said if the people at the camps don’t wish to leave, they won’t be forced out.

“That would only really result in further displacing people who are already displaced,” she said.

“That approach doesn’t do anything to address the root causes of homelessness.”

People who see a camp or shelters pop up can contact 311, which will then send the calls to Main Street Project for the organization to check on the individuals and see if they need any food, water, or other resources. They will also try to work with the people living in the encampments to see if they do want to find more permanent housing.

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John Williamson lives near a homeless tent community and says he finds them to be a safety hazard.

“You can definitely run into problems with your safety. There’s a lot of kids around here. There’s a park down there and I’ve heard concerns from parents that they don’t want to go there during the day. There’s a spray pad but they could run through the grass and step on broken glass or needles,” he said.

Lucille Bruce from End Homelessness Winnipeg said local homeless organizations are working together to come up with long-term solutions. Those talks are starting now, and there’s no word yet on how long it will take before that strategy is complete.

Bruce said the groups plan to speak to those experiencing homelessness to make sure their experiences are included in the work.

The Parks By-Law and the Neighborhood Livability By-Law prohibit temporary homeless encampments from being constructed on public property.

-With files from Amber McGuckin