Homeless squatters finding new, unexpected places to camp after tent city's demise
Area residents fear situation isn't safe for campers or neighbours
Some people living and working in Wolseley say they've seen an increase in the homeless population since the dismantling of a tent city on Broadway.
Abby Flackman has lived just south of Portage Avenue for 14 years and says she hasn't ever seen it this bad.
"I've seen them wandering around the neighbourhood before, on street corners asking for money," said Flackman. "But never directly in my yard, on my property, on my neighbour's property."
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She said that was the scene on Sunday when she came outside and noticed a man barbecuing in the yard next to hers. She said the home is currently vacant and being renovated.
"The man revealed he had been sleeping in the shed directly beside our yard for the last few nights," said Flackman. "I said well you can stay here and have your breakfast but absolutely no drugs because there are kids around and I know that the homeowners would not like it if you stayed any longer."
Flackman said the man was with two women. One was going through a pile of clothes and the other had what she assumed to be a drug kit.
She said in past weeks her clothes have gone missing off the line in her backyard.
She said the trio respectfully packed up after she spoke with them and she hasn't seen them since.
"Then we called the neighbours and told them what was happening and they came and dismantled the shed," she said.
The West Broadway Community Organization said poverty and homelessness is not a new issue for the neighbourhood, but it may be more visible since a tent city on the lawn of All Saints' Anglican Church was dismantled.
"We've noticed people are kind of scattered around the neighbourhood a little bit more but they are still living in close proximity to all the services that West Broadway has to offer," said Stephan Hodges, who is the organization's housing co-ordinator.
He said non-profits like Crossways and Agape Table, which both provide meals and other resources, offer support to the homeless population.But he said there isn't enough affordable housing nearby to keep people off the streets.
"We have 28 per cent of our population living in housing-induced poverty, meaning that they're spending 30 per cent or more of their income on rent," he said.
He'd like to see more rooming houses and social housing in the neighbourhood.
Squatters pose danger to neighbours
Brenda Wolfe said squatters across the back lane from her Sherbrook Street business are becoming a safety concern.
"They were running extension cords to the back lane and they were just plugging in," said Wolfe, who runs Unimor Healthwear. "Next thing it's a fire hazard."
Wolfe shut off power to the outlets on the back of her building. She said the squatters who were stealing power have messy, garbage-filled yards she fears could catch fire.
She said on top of that she has been finding needles on her steps and around her business.
"It's been really a safety issue. The customers don't feel safe parking behind our building," she said.
Flackman said it's the same story around her Wolseley home. She said she recently found needles for the first time since she moved in.
"There's lots of kids and lots of kids who play outside," she said. "It's not fair to impose this on the children that they have to navigate drugs and panhandling and homelessness."
Both women say they feel compassion to those without a place to go, but say something has to be done to improve safety in their neighbourhood.
"I really do support helping those who are in need," said Wolfe. "But helping these ones in need is actually ... totally unsafe. Unsafe for them, but also unsafe for our whole area."
