Pressure and expectations were ramping up at Hamilton’s City Hall on Monday for the city’s handling of the homeless crisis.
On Monday, councillors were presented with a few options regarding “sanctioned encampment sites” to alleviate tents in other parts of the community.
The contentious topic of encampments brought out many in the business community, who are urging the city to act fast or potentially see businesses pack up and go.
Inside the chambers, councillors received a city staff report, revisiting the idea of sanctioned encampment sites. It introduces a few models that include six 50 resident sites at a cost of $5.6 million dollars to operate each encampment annually.
“That works out to be over $112, 000 per person, per year. That number is really going to stand out to taxpayers,” said Ward 8 councillor John-Paul Danko.
City staff say that they don’t expect every person living outside to stay at a sanctioned site, adding the city’s current encampment protocol would remain intact.
A handful of delegates from the business community came forward urging action in the downtown core.
READ MORE: Hamilton mayor directs staff to develop plan for sanctioned temporary sites amid homelessness crisis
Greg Dunnett with Hamilton’s Chamber of Commerce was one speaker, drawing concerns about the future of commercial tenants.
A recent survey commissioned by city hall found that 82 percent of responding businesses say encampments are becoming a problem, citing loss of revenue, along with criminal activity and cleanliness.
“As leases come up, and businesses start to rethink about renewing, that’s the tough reality we will face if they don’t know where to house their business, and that’s what we face if we don’t ‘write the ship’, said Dunnett.
Representatives of Oak View Group, the company tasked to operate and oversee construction of the downtown arena district say the construction schedule is on time to be completed by 2026, and say they’re invested in launching social initiatives.
Monday’s report on sanctioned encampments was an information report and the council is expected to see an official study on the matter at the next general issues committee meeting on September 18th.
READ MORE: Mayors say homelessness a ‘humanitarian crisis’, ask province to help