Encampment cleanup pilot project won't continue, City of Winnipeg says

A City of Winnipeg pilot program that had crews doing regular cleanups at homeless encampments will not continue.

Last spring, the city partnered with Siloam Mission, Main Street Project and the Downtown Community Safety Partnership to launch the pilot project doing weekly cleanups at encampments.

From June to October, crews did 68 pickups, focusing on areas around Assiniboine Avenue, Waterfront Drive and Maple Street.

Although the project removed a significant amount of waste, and partner agencies reported a visible improvement at the encampments, feedback on the pilot received by the city through 311 or via direct communication with city departments was typically not positive, with residents continuing to express concerns related to garbage in or near encampments, community development manager Chris Brens wrote in a report published on Wednesday.

Fire safety also remained a concern, with combustible material continuing to be gathered near tents in encampments, Brens wrote.

The city budgeted $170,000 for the project, but only ended up spending $24,000 due to the limited scope and short time period.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said in an email statement the pilot project had "mixed results."

"It helped clean up garbage from encampments, but the results didn't last," Gillingham said.

"The garbage piled up again, fire safety concerns continued, and public feedback indicated most people didn't notice much of a difference."

City officials will shift their focus to the new homeless strategy announced by the Manitoba government this week, which calls for teams to move people living in encampments into housing. 

"It's also about cleaning up and rehabilitating those sites so they can be safely used by everyone. We believe this approach will make a bigger, more lasting difference for both people experiencing homelessness and the community as a whole," Gillingham said.

Spokespeople for Main Street Project and Siloam Mission declined to comment. 

The city says it will continue working with its partners doing cleanups on an as-needed basis.