Windsor business owner worried as encampments expected to grow with warmer weather

Residents in encampment-prone areas are worried the city isn't doing enough/hasn't done enough to help people

It’s the month of March and spring is right around the corner. People are starting to think about spring cleaning, planting seeds and baseball.

However, a local business owner is not looking forward to seeing an encampment near his repair shop grow.

“They were obviously somewhere else during the cold months but now it’s going to warm up and it’s going to start filling up again and it’s going to be back to the same thing last year.” said Alex Pagani, who owns ACP Performance on Salter Avenue.

The worry has already started elsewhere. According to the city, a tent was pitched in Jackson Park Sunday near Pelissier Street.

“Someone sent me a message and said there was a tent in the park and a few hours later we were able to get the people to the supports that they needed to be at and get the tent removed from the park.” Agostino explained.

That situation is a good example of programs expansions by the city and multiple community partners to support the vulnerable and homeless in the area.

“Traditional services are only available Monday through Friday during regular business hours.” said Kelly Goz, manager of homelessness and housing support for the city.

One part of the expansion involves the Mobile Outreach Support Team partnering with city social workers to make services available seven days a week.

The second part is Family Services and their homelessness street outreach workers partnering with city social workers on weekends.

“To go out together to provide both clinical assessments as well as for the outreach workers to again work collaboratively to connect folks to more appropriate supports and services.” explained Goz who encourages the public to call 311 or download the city’s 311 app to help identify encampments or people in need of assistance.

“Then we can dispatch the appropriate teams to go out to address these things sooner, make sure that people are getting connected faster and to the best appropriate services that they require.”

Bryan Rock, community program manager for Family Services, says their outreach team works hard to get people to the shelter to access supports. “The problem is, once they’re in shelter we have to have a plan to be able to get them to move on from shelter.”

He feels affordable housing is a part of a challenge equation.

“We need support from upper levels of government. They really do need to step up to provide some funding so that we can get some additional affordable rent to geared income housing built in our community.”