Article content
How close should encampments be allowed to schools, parks, and homes? City councillors went back and forth on the issue for about three hours Tuesday.
Politicians quibbled over encampment setbacks between 50 metres and 250 metres, as part of the city’s proposed new strategy to manage homeless encampments in London.
While the plan delves into support systems, outright no-go zones for tents in the city core, and rules that ban minors, violence, illegal activity, and open fires, councillors focused on the recommended distances between encampments and certain facilities.
Article content
The plan originally recommended a 50-metre distance between any tents and schools, daycares and playgrounds, 10 metres from any private property line or railway tracks, and five metres from transit stops and sports fields. Some locations, such as doorways and sidewalks, would be off-limits entirely.
Coun. Corrine Rahman originally suggested increasing the distance from schools, daycares, and park features to 250 metres, and 100 metres for homes.
“When I used CityMap and I dropped a pin at different school sites, and looked at different distances … I observed that 250 metres was a number I was more comfortable with,” Rahman said.
However, concerns were raised by other councillors about the 250-metre distance in particular, saying such a restriction, overlapping with setbacks from nearby schools, could create large no-go zones throughout the city, leaving few options for those without shelter.
A city report said there were 56 encampments in London at the end of March.
City officials have said the plan was drafted to acknowledge there are not enough shelter spaces for the number of homeless in London, and that it is meant to provide a human-rights focused approach with outreach while also balancing concerns in and around encampments.
Article content
With that in mind, councillors were wary of further clamping down on where people can camp, not only with concerns for enforcement but also legal challenges.
“I just think we’re being too prescriptive … the work (the community informed response team) does, they do have some discretion in terms of the ranges,” Coun. Hadleigh McAlister said. “I just can’t figure how staff are going to look at this and it not be massive red rings.”
The concerns were enough for the committee to compromise on 150 metres from schools and daycares, and 100 metres for playgrounds, sports fields and homes.
An attempt by Coun. Steve Lehman to refer the process back to staff to study the different distances failed, on the grounds it would delay the entire plan that will go to city council for approval on June 25.
Council had less to say about the overall strategy, largely commending the work put into it by city staff, first responders, and social agencies. All components were ultimately endorsed.
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network
