City looking at improving access to all-season public washrooms in Hamilton

The city will review how feasible it is to improve access to all-season public washrooms as Hamilton continues to deal with the issue of homelessness.

It's unclear how many washrooms there could be, where they may end up, what they'll look like or if the city will even get that far into the planning stage. But for now, bylaw officers aren't handing out fines for people have to resort to urinating or defecating in public. And it will look at how it can make public washrooms more readily available to people. 

The considerations come after the emergency and community services committee received a presentation on Thursday from McMaster University grad students Francis Lao, Mary Boulos and Stephanie Li about the dire need for public restrooms and hygiene facilities.

"When the pandemic began, all of us were told, 'Wash your hands and stay home so you can stay safe.' Now imagine hearing the only way to stay safe are those mechanisms and you don't have access to that. That was the reality for our neighbours experiencing homelessness," Boulos said.

It comes as Hamilton saw large encampments grow in the city's core during the summer. The city recently used an $11.3 million provincial cash injection to continue expanding local shelter spaces, including for people who have been living in encampments.

The group proposed the city review areas which could benefit from temporary measures such as porta potties and return with cost estimates. But the committee pointed out how it wouldn't be feasible, citing past issues trying to implement them.

The trio also explained how the city's public nuisance by-law fines may be exacerbating the consequences of the lack of public washrooms and hygiene facilities.

"Without public hygiene facilities, people experiencing homelessness are often forced to urinate and defecate in public. However, in doing so, they're fined according to the public nuisance bylaw and those experiencing homelessness often cannot pay these fines," Li said.

Lao added physicians working with the community have heard of people receiving fines as high as $880.

Coun. Nrinder Nann (Ward 3) asked how the city could enforce public hygiene practices without punishing people, saying that some residents feel the bylaw deters public urination or defecation and makes communities safer from a public health lens.

Edward John, the city's director of housing services, said he was not aware of any fines being handed out under the bylaw.

The McMaster students also highlighted the worsening opioid problems in the city, showing the number of overdose deaths has climbed during the pandemic.

Coun. Tom Jackson (Ward 6) made amendments to the original motions that read as follows:

• Direct city staff to assess the feasibility of mechanisms and best practices to implement all-season public washrooms.
• Direct bylaw officers to review benefits and consequences of ceasing enforcement of the public nuisance bylaw.
• Direct city staff to identify discrepancies in harm reduction services and policies between shelters to view the feasibility to standardize processes between shelters and those who use drugs.

Staff will report back to the committee with their findings.

The motion was carried unanimously.