A motion to extend the Encampment Advisory Committee for a four-year term has been put on hold for now.
Ward Six councillor Amy Finn brought forward her motion to extend the pilot committee into the 2026-2030 council term, citing the positive work she has witnessed at its meetings.
“I know I’m not on the committee, but I have attended several of them. The last couple of meetings they have done the most work I have ever seen,” said Finn. “For a pilot project to only have five meetings, less than six months total, I don’t think it is fair to those that have dedicated the time that sat on that committee to actually do what they wanted to do and to have a voice. And that was the voice of the community.”
Council voted in favour of reconsidering its original decision, which saw the committee’s term ending alongside the current council term.
However, Councillor Marjorie Crew, who is one of two council members on the committee, asked Council to defer the vote until October.
“There will be a report coming, and there is a lot of motions that were voted on, there was a democratic transparent process that was well attended by the public,” said Crew.
“The committee recognized that housing and homelessness and encampments are not just a neighborhood in a particular area. It’s a Chatham-Kent issue and it’s growing.”
The report from the Encampment Advisory Committee will be presented at Council’s last meeting on October 5.
Crew said the committee’s recommendations include renaming the Encampment Advisory Committee to the Homeless Prevention and Response Committee, reviewing and revising the terms of reference to reflect its expanded mandate, and including representatives from each ward.
Council voted 14 to 3 in favour of deferring the vote until October, with Councillors Lauren Anderson, Michael Bondy and Ryan Doyle voting against.
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