Update, 9:26 a.m. – A fire started at the homeless camp Wednesday morning. Reporter Diana Foxall says a man is throwing things into the fire.
More to come.
Original Story:
The City of Winnipeg says it will begin to dismantle two controversial homeless camps set up near the Manitoba Metis Federation headquarters building on Henry Street Wednesday.
The city says a “multi-agency cleanup effort” will start Wednesday morning when firefighters are expected to issue an order for those living at the camps to vacate by the end of the week.
“Main Street Project, End Homelessness Winnipeg and other agencies will also be on-site on an ongoing basis through Friday to provide assistance and link willing individuals with alternate housing and other supports,” said the city spokesperson in an email to Global News.
“Main Street Project has purchased and will provide supervised storage units for individuals to safely keep any belongings they are unable to take with them.”
Main Street Project executive director Rick Lees is confident their plan is the right one and will work, saying it’s one they’ve carried out before.
“We’ve gone in with our outreach teams and case work teams, and other agencies have worked with clients to both provide them supports, but also help them clean up the area and sort of begin a progressive move,” Lees said.
“So it’s definitely an engagement and we’re including the folks who live in these camps in what would they like to see and as best we can trying to help them understand what isn’t safe.
Lees says he’s referring to both the COVID-19 situation and the need for social distancing, as well as fire hazards. Fire broke out in one of the camps on Sunday, according to Lees, and destroyed a number of units.
Kris Clemens, with End Homelessness Winnipeg, says it comes down to balancing safety with the dignity and humanity of the individuals living there, saying they’ve adopted a human rights-based approach to homeless encampments.
“(It includes) giving them choices as to where they relocate to, ensuring their belongings and property are – that they’re able to take them with them or store them safely … (and) respecting that individual’s right to self-determination,” Clemens said.
“While also trying to facilitate a process that will help improve their live safety and hopefully connect individuals on a path to stable housing on the longer-term.”
Last week, Winnipeg city councillor Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) called for the city to remove the camps set up in the area of Henry Street and Austin, telling 680 CJOB they’re unsafe.
“Just the number of fires that end up happening — there’s no building codes of any sort there,” he said.
“Some of it is tents, but also a lot of it is shopping carts and tarps, and really unsafe living quarters.”
Fire crews were called to put out a fire at the temporary encampment back in March.
Browatty said the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) has told the city people from the camps are harassing MMF employees as they enter and leave the organization’s head office nearby.
The MMF’s David Chartrand said the organization has had to hire extra security to help employees get to their vehicles. He said he’s personally seen violence and open drug use at the camps.
“I am very concerned about them. These are human beings. They didn’t grow up to be addicts. They didn’t grow up to be homeless, but situations have led them there,” he said.
“It’s getting to a point where people are afraid to work here now. It’s getting bad.”
City crews will also be on hand Wednesday with bins for those living in the camps to throw away any unwanted items and garbage, the city spokesperson said, adding front-end loaders will also be brought in “to assist residents in disposing of larger items.”
“All groups involved in the Supporting Unsheltered Winnipeggers group are committed to upholding individuals’ human rights throughout the operation, and are striving to ensure temporary, non-shelter housing is available as needed,” the spokesperson said.
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