Region’s lawyers offer housing solutions as Kitchener encampment case resumes in court
Region’s lawyers offer housing solutions as Kitchener encampment case resumes in court
It was another full day in court for the hearing that will decide the fate of the residents of the encampment at 100 Victoria Street in Kitchener.
On Wednesday, lawyers from both sides summarized their cases on why the residents should or shouldn’t be evicted.
The encampment lawyers are continuing to ask the judge to allow the residents to stay at the makeshift encampment, while the lawyers for the Region of Waterloo insist the residents must be moved.
On Wednesday, the region also brought an offer to the table that could see the encampment residents offered interim housing solutions.
HOUSING SOLUTIONS BROUGHT FORWARD
They say if the eviction is approved, they will offer the residents first dibs on 50 per cent of new shelter spaces coming online.
Regional lawyers are offering priority to encampment residents in new shelters if eviction is granted.
The House of Friendship will be opening 75 beds in January as a men’s only shelter. A hybrid shelter will have 50 beds available starting in January and SHIP Shelter will also have 50 beds for a men’s only shelter opening this month.
Regional lawyers suggested the region should do a count of all current residents and get their names, and suggested Waterloo Regional Police Service help them do this.
POLICE LAWYER SAYS HE DOES NOT WANT WRPS INVOVLED
Gary Melanson, lawyer for WRPS, says WRPS should play no part in conducting a count of those living at the encampment.
The lawyers for WRPS also stressed that WRPS should be the last option for eviction, and they do not want to play any part in the removal or storage of property.
Melanson also submitted that if an eviction order is granted, and residents are forced to move, anyone who tries to stop the eviction will also be in violation of the order.
ENCAMPMENT LAWYERS RESPOND
This comes as the lawyers for the encampment residents are arguing the eviction is a breach of the residents’ charter rights.
They say the region can not offer these people an adequate number of safe accessible shelter spaces, and until they can do, they should be allowed to stay at 100 Victoria Street.
The region argues this is not true, and the region has enough space.
The encampment residents often chose not to go to the emergency shelters.
None of the beds proposed exist yet, and the location of the hybrid shelter has not been revealed.
This is all hypothetical, as the judge has not made a decision. It is expected that this will happen sometime in December.
Until then, the encampment will stay where it is as long as the residents chose to stay.
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