'A place to be secure': Here's how the region's new sanctioned encampments may operate

The Region of Waterloo and community partners are hoping to open new sanctioned encampments ahead of the winter months, but with a lot of work still to be done, that may prove to be a major challenge.

The Working Centre is one of two service agencies hoping to work with the region to potentially operate the first sanctioned outdoor shelter outside of downtown cores, to meet increased community needs.

“It’s important to think of the encampment, not about tents, but about small tiny houses,” said Joe Mancini, director of The Working Centre. “You have a warm bed, a place to gather your thoughts and a place to be secure.”

Mancini said their plans are hardly original as the agency has been a part of A Better Tent City from the beginning – offering those living rough some reprieve.

“The Working Center has been a part of A Better Tent City from the beginning, and this newly managed encamp is building on A Better Tent City,” said Mancini. “We envision small cabins, a place for showers, a place for meals and a gathering spot. So really, it will look like a small community.”

Mancini said when you are working to get someone’s life back on track, a tent is not ideal.

"The most important thing is for an individual to have a place, it might not be a great place, but it’s a place they can call home, a place they can keep their stuff and feel secure," said Mancini.

This week, the region announced it’s exploring having more than one hybrid outdoor shelter, which could take many different forms.

"There could be some modular housing in the facility, and there could be a place for, you know when the weather is appropriate, a place for someone to pitch a tent, said Peter Sweeney, commissioner of community services, Region of Waterloo. “The idea, however, is this a managed space where people have the supports they need.”

As for when a site might open, the region is hoping that will be sooner rather than later.

“It’s not as simple as looking throughout the community and finding a vacant lot, and saying ‘oh that would work,’ because we have to make sure it can be operationalized quickly, and we have to make sure it is safe,” said Sweeney.