Homeless tent community removed from downtown Hamilton high school
- Craig Clark
- 30 Apr 2020
Hamilton Police and city officials worked to remove a large homeless encampment at the former building of Sir John A. MacDonald Secondary School over the night on Monday.
Residents of the camp were offered a safer place to stay during the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to a report in the Hamilton Spectator, housing director Edward John said that outreach workers were working to build relationships with the approximately 10 homeless residents living in the tent community before it came down.
Homeless tent encampment cleared from downtown Hamilton school property #HamOnthttps://t.co/6q49Cbyedj
— Hamilton Spectator (@TheSpec) April 29, 2020
There was no conflict and no one was arrested after most of the encampment residents either agreed to try out shelter beds or left on their own. Cleaners then worked to remove tarps and piled-up trash at the site.
The public school board asked for the encampment to be removed because they were worried about safety and break-ins. They were accepting of the go-slow approach after consulting with the city and outreach groups like Keeping Six.
Street outreach groups such as Keeping Six asked the city to leave encampments alone during the pandemic.
More homeless encampments have been popping up around the city with sites in the downtown, the North End, and along the rail trail in the city’s east end.
John said that tent living has likely increased because of the incoming warmer weather, and may also be the result of shelter overcrowding amid COVID-19.
The overflow shelter at FirstOntario Centre was briefly at capacity but has the option to be flexible with the system. Some homeless families and women with children have been put up in local hotels.
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