People living in a homeless encampment in Galt are worried about being forced to leave.
There are about five tents at the encampment located on Main Street, some on private property and some on regional property.
On Wednesday, an advocate at the site said the residents are slowly packing up and trying to figure out where to go.
“If you’re homeless you already feel low. Like you already feel your self esteem low. Your mood is low. And being outside in the snow and rain and really hot days - that’s going to make it worse, with anybody,” Charlene Lee said. “And you’re already dealing with mental health and addictions and disabilities and all that stuff. So why are we pushing them out, so they can feel worse?”
Lee said residents at the encampment were given a deadline of Wednesday because the developer who owns the land plans to build two 18-storey buildings.
"I came out here because the community asked me to,” said Erin Dej, assistant professor in the department of criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University. “That they need support for people who are in a really vulnerable position, and who are at risk of being criminalized, for the very nature of being homeless. We know that’s not an appropriate, compassionate or an effective response to homelessness.”
The Waterloo Regional Police Service said they are not involved in removing people from the property.
The City of Cambridge said it is not responsible for evictions or notices of eviction on private property.
“The Region of Waterloo is the lead for housing and homelessness locally. The City of Cambridge and other local municipalities continue to work with the region to address homelessness in our cities,” Julie Kalbfleisch, director of communications for the city said in an email. “While there are no easy solutions to the housing issues in our Region, we continue to balance enforcement of bylaws with a human-centred approach that considers the needs and safety of unhoused individuals, as well as the needs and concerns of all members of our community.”
