Guelph seeking private property donation for temporary encampment
Guelph is taking an unusual step in its efforts to address the homelessness crisis.
The city has put out a call for private property donations which may be used for a temporary structured encampment.
In February, using his strong mayor powers, Mayor Cam Guthrie directed staff to identify real estate opportunities which could be transformed into housing. That request included both city-owned and private properties, along with additional information on costs, funding, supports and logistics.
"Water, bathrooms, waste pickup, things like that I think we would all wrap ourselves around to try to provide for people that are experiencing homelessness," Guthrie explained in an interview with CTV News in February. "The other thing I'm looking at is actually utilizing units like tiny homes."
The city is calling on property owners to identify sites suitable for a temporary structured encampment for, potentially, a three-year period.
“While properties within one kilometre of the downtown core are preferred, all submissions will be considered,” the city said in a media release.
"We're doing our own examination of lands and available locations within our purview, but we're also saying: 'Hey, does anyone else in the community want to try and help with this?'" Guthrie explained on Wednesday. "You know, often I've said that government alone cannot solve this issue. We need a whole community approach, so by asking the community if there is availability of land that could be used... it brings everyone together to try and solve this problem of homelessness."
Property owners interested in participating in the encampment initiative are asked to email the city with their name, contact information and suggested location by April 26, but submissions will also be accepted after this date.
The city also said staff will present their report to council later this spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Tornadoes collapse buildings and level homes in Nebraska and Iowa
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump's legal drama
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.