The number of people without a home in Windsor is growing — and so are encampments

Windsor's manager of homelessness and housing support says the number people without a home is growing — and so are the number of encampments in the city.

According to Kelly Goz, as of the end of July, statistics they've gathered indicate more than 850 households across Windsor and Essex County don't have a permanent place to live. That number has grown since February, when the city reported it at approximately 700.

And households means families, says Goz, so the number of affected people is actually a "much higher" number.

"It is growing because our housing affordability has changed in our community," said Goz.

"What was very affordable even three or four years ago no longer is for somebody who's in receipt of income assistance or is receiving Ontario disability or an Ontario work stipend."

Goz says those people are slowly being pushed out of the area's housing market — and that the same goes for seniors on fixed incomes.

"Housing affordability is becoming a bigger crisis than what we have ever seen locally in our community."

The number of logged encampments in Windsor has also increased since February. Then, it was two. Now, Goz says there are as many as 11.

"When we did the survey and reported to AMO it was two still at that time. But it ebbs and flows depending on the time of the year — what's going on in the community — that type of thing."

She's referring to an Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) survey where cities and towns in the province reported at least 1,400 homeless encampments in their communities last year.

The association is now asking Ontario for guidance on how to handle them — as well as more help to house and support people.

Kingston is one city that's turned to the courts — seeking injunctions to deal with encampments.

Mayor Bryan Paterson said it's expensive, time consuming, divisive and not a good solution.

"How do we navigate these competing interests, these challenging, complex social and health issues that we see, in a way that balances those off?" he said in an interview.

"We're looking for the province to engage on this issue, to weigh into it, and to help municipalities with that balance."

Goz says she believes homeless encampments have increased since the winter not just because the weather is more conducive to sleeping outdoors in things like tents.

She's crediting better reporting from the public — by contacting the municipal 311 service.

"We only know what we know from a data collection perspective. So as members of the public are calling in, as there are more outreach type teams out walking the streets, even with the new initiatives under the mayor strengthening the core initiative … has been extremely helpful to have a better understanding of who is experiencing homelessness in our community."

According to Goz, while most of the city's current encampments are "fairly concentrated" in the downtown — like the two reported in February — some are now outside the core.

"Perhaps around rail lines, perhaps in more wooded areas somewhere where it's easier for the person to kind of hide a little bit. That kind of also makes it a little bit tricky when trying to understand how many people are sleeping outdoors and encampments."

As for the type of supports offered to people living in Windsor encampments, she says it's more than people dealing with mental illness or challenged by substance use — oftentimes those without a permanent home for the first time.

"We are starting to see more seniors enter homelessness and that's because the homes that they had been living in for long periods of time are now being sold, and they're facing rent evictions or facing homelessness … and aren't just as familiar with what homelessness services are available to them in the city and in the county."

A spokesperson for Ontario's ministry of municipal affairs and housing told CBC News the province is spending $700 million a year on community and supportive housing and is giving big cities like Toronto and Ottawa $240 million for shelter and homelessness supports.

On the federal side, AMO notes the parliamentary budget officer has said that as part of the National Housing Strategy, the government puts about $561 million a year toward homelessness programs.

The Liberal government's spring budge announced an additional $250 million for addressing encampments, and AMO is urging Ontario to match that.

Goz says more investment is a critical need from both senior levels of government for permanent supportive housing.

"It's about making sure that the person can get what they need and what they are striving for in real time. Part of that has been expansions to health care and how we provide health care to this population. I would say we are still fairly stable, but we are also very much at a crossroads to being in a different position."