A handful of tents dot the edge of Lethbridge’s Civic Center Park.
The Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO) building is north of the homeless encampment and this year is the largest gathering that chief executive Rob Miyashiro has ever seen in that area.
“As it warmed up, in early spring, we saw some tents coming up and it only started to set up from there when the weather got better,” said Miyashiro. “Literally, it’s like a campsite.”
It is not the only plantation in the city. Another is located outside the Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Center.
On June 1, the city teamed up with other organizations to conduct a “charity takedown” of that camp, but since Tuesday, tents have been seen in the area.
Despite having a notable presence outside of LSCO, Miyashiro has not heard the same concerns as he has over the years.
“We saw few people hanging around the front. I know I’ve never had complaints from people hanging around the parking lot like us before,” Miyashiro said. “The campers seem to be sticking with themselves.”
But he believes it is a matter of action.
“Supportive housing is one thing,” said Miyashiro. “Not only housing support, but if we are going to quickly re-use people, where are we going to put them? There is nowhere to put them”.
According to the city, there are 135 prisons in Lethbridge in 2021, an increase of more than 50% from the previous year.
On Tuesday, the council introduced a resolution that would direct the administration to report on the current process of dismantling the prisons and also lay out a strategy of recommendations to advocate for the province on affordable housing. .
Councilor John Middleton-Hope said: “Options, regulations and resources are needed to effectively remove these environments and a resettlement strategy must be developed that can provide temporary housing on city-owned land, where these camps could be better managed.”
Councilor Jeff Carlson said: “We need to step up our game because people are suffering. “They don’t have a home. They need a place, they need safety and shelter.”
The resolution was passed unanimously, and the administration will also consider options for changes to the law to help resolve the issue.
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