A plea from Ontario Huge Metropolis Mayors (OBCM) to the province to handle homelessness now has the backing of most of Cambridge Metropolis Council.
By a vote of six to 3, Cambridge council accredited a movement from Mayor Jan Liggett to assist the OBCM decision on Tuesday night time. The decision requires, amongst different issues, extra remedy and diversion providers to assist cope with encampments by the increasing diversion courts for provincial and municipal offences whereas specializing in rehabilitation moderately than punitive measures.
“I have addicts in my family, I have taken homeless [people] into my home. So before anybody says, ‘walk a mile in their shoes,’ I have done that. I have lived experience,” Liggett mentioned throughout the assembly.
The three holdouts have been councillors Scott Hamilton, Sheryl Roberts and Ross Earnshaw. Every mentioned they assist nearly all of the decision, however anxious about it resulting in obligatory remedy. The councillors thought efforts needs to be targeted on provide higher funding to current providers.
“Create more beds, create more treatment centers. Don’t take away things like [Consumption Treatment Services] sites that are saving lives,” Scott Hamilton mentioned throughout the assembly.
“Something being requested in right here doesn’t preclude voluntary remedy,” Liggett mentioned.
Julie Kalbfleisch, Director of Communications and Fundraising at Sanguen Well being Centre, mentioned placing individuals into diversion forces them right into a alternative of going to jail or in search of remedy. Kalbfleisch worries that this might solely additional burden the courtroom system or drive individuals into remedy with out acceptable housing for them to go to.
“Putting someone into a forced treatment situation without having appropriate housing at the other side of it is a really big factor to consider,” Kalbfleisch mentioned.
The decision additionally requires an replace to the trespass to property act to incorporate choices to assist deal with aggressive or repetitive trespassing. Kalbfleisch mentioned with out correct housing out there locally, altering the act will simply burden courts additional.
“Once encampments are cleared, people will inevitably pop up in other public locations because there is not enough housing and shelter for folks. They’ll be found to be repeat offenders at that point and could be incarcerated,” Kalbfleisch mentioned.
“The OBCM resolution leaves room for dangerous interpretation where elected officials would have the power to act in ways that could be harmful to folks based on their housing or mental health and addictions status,” Kalbfleisch added in an electronic mail to .
In the end, that is simply the town’s strategy to assist Ontario’s Huge Metropolis Mayors decision. However the resolution to assist it comes on the again of Liggett signing a letter that was given to the Premier asking him to make use of the however clause, if wanted, to make sure these measures are carried out in a well timed and efficient manner.
“This would allow municipalities to bypass court rulings that prevent encampment clearings and would allow them to essentially remove encampments without having to provide people with a suitable or appropriate housing or shelter,” Kalbfleisch mentioned. “This essentially goes against the Charter of Human Rights.”
The province has not formally responded to the request from the mayors.
