Peterborough City Council met on the evening of May 8th, 2023 to discuss a staff report concerning the Homelessness Service Strategy and Update. Discussion on the report would prove to be equal parts informative and problematic. The gallery was filled to capacity with concerned residents waiting to hear what their city council chose to do moving forward to resolve chronic homelessness within Peterborough. 

The report brought forth by Commissioner of Community Services, Sheldon Laidman, who worked in collaboration with councillors Alex Bierk, Kieth Riel, Director of Social Services, Rebecca Morgan Quin and Social Services Homelessness Program Integrity Manager, Jocelyn Blazey to provide a strategy that aims to address the homelessness crisis within Peterborough. 

The report detailed the short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals of providing support and services to people facing homelessness in our community. The aim is to build a modular housing unit on the existing Wolfe Street encampment, which would in turn be provided with four key elements: modular housing units, a navigation unit, 24/7 winter drop-in space, and neighbourhood support. 

The three-tier goals work to provide life-saving support such as storage, proper sanitation facilities, site improvements, security, and social services. The support needed to battle homelessness which, as seen in the past few years, is an extremely complex issue that cannot be solved with a plan that does not take the needs of those unhoused into account—a factor which was brought up on multiple occasions during the meeting. “There is a gap in our system where the needs of individuals are being unmet. I can't express how unwell these folks are." Said Blazey.

The purpose of this concept, planned to be implemented in the fall once specifics are decided on, is to alleviate the stress—both within the Wolfe Street shelter and outside—in order to create a space where support is provided and readily accessible to those who need it. As Quin said, “I can’t say enough how bad the situation is on Wolfe Street.” Both Quin and Jocelyn repeated the idea that chronic homelessness is not a linear problem with a linear solution. 

Importantly, Quin and Blazey made it very clear that this report is as of right now, still just a concept. “We don’t have all the pieces in place yet,” said Quin.

This would prove to be a sticking point for Councillors Leslie Parnell, Kevin Duguay, and Dave Haacke due to concerns over fencing around the Wolfe Street area,  the fact some unhoused people would rather stay in tents than in existing shelters, and a heavy stigma surrounding the realities of addiction. 

Meanwhile, this motion is a concept to be further developed with the support of City Council, not a completed plan at the time of the presentation. Laidman, in a conversation about washroom facilities on Wolfe Street, made it clear that the resources are out there to help the situation now in regards to the motion, but cannot move forward without council approval.  

The sense of urgency amongst council was perhaps the only shared understanding—regardless of the councillor's approach to problem-solving. Councilor Gary Baldwin stressed the concerns brought to him by residents, stating that businesses and homeowners in and around 210 Wolfe Street are deciding whether to stay or move based on the decision council reaches, “We really have destroyed the neighbourhood. And we have to do better—we really do,” Baldwin said.

During the question period on the motion, councillor Kevin Duguay, in much enthusiasm, asked “Why does the city have to shoulder the entire responsibility of this problem?” which was met with an audible gasp from the audience. 

Councillor Bierk, while speaking on the importance of this plan and stressing the amount of harm that would come out of doing nothing made it clear that “This is not a plan written on the back of a napkin. We’re going to put faith in the experts in our community.” 

Bierk talked at length about the importance of taking into consideration the needs and requirements of the homeless population otherwise this plan will not prove successful. Bierk heavily emphasized the notion that this is the current only option to solving this problem, and even welcomed those who thought to vote against this concept to bring forth their own solution because again, “this is our plan A.” 

Councillor Joy Lachia stated in support of the concept: “We don’t just have something—we have something that is the best there is out there.” 

Keith Riel, a partner with Bierk on developing this plan, was visibly upset and frustrated at the continuous back and forth between council members on trivial aspects of the motion, and reiterated once again that this is simply a concept that needs approval, the finer details can and will be worked out pending approval. He began to yell as he conveyed that the homelessness within our city needs to be solved now, there is simply no time to stall any longer.

In a wild turn of events, Haacke proposed an amendment that council not take into consideration section B of the proposal during voting. Section B, in short, outlines the plan to implement modular housing and support services at 210 Wolfe Street and surrounding parking lots. Without section B, as Bierk and Laidman reminded council, the concept does not work. Nevertheless, the council held two votes: one for section B to be included in the motion, and one without.

Ultimately, the motion to receive the report for information excluding part B carried unanimously, while the vote on B alone passed 7-4 with Haacke, Beamer, Vassiliadis, and Parnell voting against, and Lachia, Bierk, Baldwin, Riel, Leal, Crowley, and Duguay voting in favour. The final vote for ratification of the plan is set to take place at the next council meeting on May 23rd.

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