A special meeting of Chatham-Kent Council will be held Monday night to discuss a new homeless encampment in Chatham and its impact on the surrounding community.
Mayor Darrin Canniff has called the meeting in the hopes of exploring potential changes to the municipality’s Encampment Protocol to support neighbouring residents and address concerns about the location of the encampment, located on the Chatham-Kent PUC property on Grand Avenue East in Chatham.
At least two motions will be discussed by council and were made public at the end of last week.
One, put forward by Mayor Darrin Canniff, outlines nine action points, including an expansion of the distance requirement for any encampment and residential properties from 10 metres to 100, as well as continued collaboration with Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K.) to engage with and support those experiencing homelessness, and the exploration of local housing options that could quickly be converted into supporting housing.
A motion from Ward Six Councillor Michael Bondy calls for the prohibition of any encampment from forming during daytime hours, with temporary shelters being dismantled and removed from municipal property from one hour after sunrise until one hour before sunset. Bondy’s motion, if approved, would also give authorities the power to remove, seize, or impound any property that has been unlawfully placed or left on municipal land.
Many of the unhoused individuals sheltering at the PUC property moved there earlier this month after being asked to vacate land on Thames Street to allow for planned structural improvements along the Thames River.
The Grand Avenue East encampment is the largest in Chatham-Kent, with as many as 50 “stayers” at any given time. The location currently falls within the conditions of Chatham-Kent’s Encampment Protocol.
Monday’s meeting gets underway at 6 p.m.
