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11/25/2021 Looking More at Unsheltered DisplacementIt's sometimes hard for me to get my head around the multitude of activity we have locally. We are amazing! My attention keeps coming back to the issues we have going on locally atm in terms of the displacement of our local homeless population. I keep trying to figure out what that first step towards resolving these challenges is, most immediately and specifically how to best support those who are most literally, right now, without a warm safe place to lay their heads at night, left on our streets lacking other options. There is no good solution. There are steps we can take. I suggested but one (two but one proposal), others having many times offered options and similar opinions too. Encampments are not a long term solution. No one should be forced to live that way, but right now people are being forced to live that way, because we’ve proven to have no alternatives to offer. To me this is less about where we should be, what our baseline should be, and moreso about accepting and acting on where we clearly are. Tents removed from homeless camp - CTV NEWS - 11/26/21I can understand how my first request might not be as easy to start with, and if it did seem the right idea would likely need further work. That said, I find myself stuck on the second listed request of: “I ask that the removal of these substitute homes be considered stopped, given that the structures are located on Regional land and not private property.”, as it seems to remain as a valid and reasonable consideration. Anything else would take time, time that we no longer have. Time we didn't have already when COVID-19 hit. We started from behind then, and seem to be falling further behind instead of gaining ground. The numbers show that. There is logic to it too. Not only does it remove the direct added/enhancement of psychological and physical damage caused in forcing relocation, it also contrubutes positively in multiple ways. But a couple to start with:
As I continue to explore this topic, I'll toss more out here. Even if this isn't the perfect solution, and it really shouldnt be, we need to continue these conversations. We can't delay on it any longer, we've waited too long already. If we are not going to choose to act, not going to make changes in the way we currently treat these citizens, we need to start really asking ourselves more honestly why. Because we can, it is a choice. One being made by those priviledged enough to have a place to call home. And Then This Happens at Stirling and Charles in Kitchener....November 26th, 2021The grassroot community erupted... With Love! - November 28th, 2021 Protest rally
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