Guelph continues to look for suitable site for structured encampment

More activity needs to beryllium done earlier nan first shovel hits nan crushed connected a projected system encampment successful Guelph.

The metropolis continues to look for a suitable tract aft a telephone was put retired backmost successful March for a aid of land. Mayor Cam Guthrie said location are a number of factors that travel into play erstwhile selecting a site.

“Is it contaminated pieces of land? Are they successful nan flood plain? You don’t want to beryllium mounting thing up wherever you don’t want to beryllium putting group up successful those places,” he said.

Guthrie said having a system encampment would beryllium amended suited for those experiencing homelessness alternatively of tents aliases makeshift shelters.

A typical assembly gathering took spot past Tuesday to travel up connected a guidance Guthrie made to person unit study backmost connected nan logistics, costs, and processes for a impermanent encampment site.

The gathering besides heard from individuals and organizations, some successful support of and opposed to a projected system encampment.

One of nan supporters was nan Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition, which is hoping to person a tract location successful place.

“Unfortunately, we’re not there,” said Mike Marcolongo, nan coalition’s unpaid task manager.

“There are a mates of sites that had accommodation that could beryllium retrofitted for communal spaces for illustration kitchens, washrooms, showers and laundry. But we deemed those sites arsenic having excessively galore risks and unknowns astatine this constituent successful time.”

A study by nan County of Wellington besides concluded that nan thought that nan conjugation is proposing is not viable successful its existent state, citing “many factors” that request to beryllium evaluated and person not been addressed.

The conjugation did get an endorsement from assembly to formally backmost nan thought of a system encampment.

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“They wanted america to endorse nan conception that having mini homes is an important portion successful nan wide lodging problem wrong Guelph and that is tin beryllium looked upon arsenic a solution,” Guthrie said.

Council unanimously passed a mobility by Coun. Phil Allt to endorse a mini homes encampment. It besides asks nan national authorities for backing to reside encampments and homelessness successful nan community.

Some of those who are opposed to a system encampment tract said they are concerned astir supplier use, violence, and fire.

Guthrie said a system encampment would reside nan concerns of residents.

“You would person water, washrooms, and wrap-around wellness services astatine 1 location,” he said.

“God-forbid, if location were emergency services required, a system encampment tract lends itself to having astatine 1 location alternatively of being scattered astir nan community.”

In summation to selecting a site, assembly directed unit to bring backmost a study successful 2025.