Council votes to evict unhoused people from high-visibility areas, August 28, 2024
Prepared by: Basic Income Guelph
Basic Income Guelph is a group of volunteer community members who are working to improve Canada’s social safety net, eliminate poverty and respond to the multiple crises of economic insecurity, justice, human rights and democratic participation in society. We have no political affiliation as basic income policy has support among members of several major political parties. We base our work on evidence from basic income pilots around the world including here in Canada.
In this report we examine a specific motion at the August 28, 2024 council meeting which directly affected our city’s most vulnerable.
Quick background to this council vote
In the winter of 2024 homelessness was surging across the country. According to County of Wellington studies, the number of known unhoused people in the county would climb to 335 by October of that year, up from 270 in October 2021. (The actual numbers of unhoused people are estimated to be much higher).
Hungry and unhoused people spilled out into the streets in front of the Royal City Mission in crowds larger than ever, and an encampment had formed in St. George’s Square. Business owners were confronted with a new reality on their doorsteps and some communicated their concerns to council members.
The debate surrounding whether encampments should be allowed in visible public spaces, and what to do about them, reached new heights after a tent fire broke out on January 16 of that year. That evening, in a closed Council Planning Meeting, council unanimously directed staff to draft a Public Space Use Bylaw “to address safety concerns regarding encampments and related activities on lands owned or operated by the City of Guelph.”
“There are a lot of concerns from downtown merchants about the presence of encampments in the downtown, and they’ve been hearing from their customers that they’re not frequenting the downtown as much, because it doesn’t feel safe sometimes, or doesn’t feel as welcoming,” Councillor Rodrigo Goller told Guelph Today in a February 11, 2024 Guelph Today article. He went on to acknowledge that unhoused people have a right to somewhere safe to live.
City staff returned to council with a draft bylaw, which was approved in this crucial vote on August 28, 2024.
Overview of the meeting and how councillors voted on the motion
The Public Space Use bylaw appeared as item number five on the agenda, with 43 delegates speaking. Correspondence was received from six more people.
It is worth noting that one 2026 Ward 2 candidate, Morgan Dandie, was among the delegates who spoke against the bylaw and a Ward 3 candidate, Kevin Bowman, submitted correspondence arguing against the bylaw.
The original motion, brought forward by Councillor Michelle Richardson and seconded by Goller, read as:
That City Council approve the draft Public Space Use By-law, as attached to staff memo 2024-359, and that staff be directed to place the by-law on the September 10, 2024 City Council agenda for final adoption after which the by-law will come into effect on October 1, 2024.
However, Councillor Carly Klassen moved to have the motion amended to include “the entirety of both St. George’s Square and Market Square as Sensitive Public Areas” with Councillor Goller seconding the motion.
The amended motion brought forward was moved by Councillor Michelle Richardson and seconded by Councillor Goller:
That City Council approve the draft Public Space Use By-law as amended, and as attached to staff memo 2024-359 and that staff be directed to place the by-law on the September 10, 2024 City Council agenda for final adoption after which the by-law will come into effect on October 1, 2024.
| Vote | Councillors |
|---|---|
| For (10) | Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Downer, Councillor O’Rourke, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Chew |
| Against (3) | Councillor Allt, Councillor Caton, Councillor Busuttil |
Conclusion
The catalyst for the bylaw appears to be the tent fire that broke out in St. George’s Square. This sparked concerns from downtown merchants and their customers about their own safety. The introduction of the bylaw conflated the need for a public space bylaw and the needs of the unhoused residents. This, combined with the absence of a fulsome public engagement, led to animosity between the groups, further stigmatizing the unhoused residents.
As noted in the August 23, 2024 joint submission to council from the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy, the GW Task Force for Poverty Elimination and Towards Common Ground, “encampments are often responses to unmet needs. …The experience is compounded for community members who have complex needs. Individuals living rough often do so because drop-in spaces and long term housing options are unavailable or do not meet their needs. For some, encampments are the only options.”
A human rights approach to encampment management requires a clear path that prioritizes moving people into housing and providing daytime spaces rather than relying on displacement. Research shows that trauma is both a cause and effect of homelessness. Trauma-informed interventions require an approach that prioritizes safety, choice and collaboration with those impacted.
By voting for the motion, a large majority of council endorsed a notable shift from Guelph’s previous reputation as a progressive community with a housing-focused approach to encampments. The bylaw moved the City away from a human-rights approach in favour of a heavier enforcement approach, and further marginalized people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. It also favoured the safety concerns of business owners and their customers without implementing a plan to address the physical and emotional safety of encampment residents.
Learn more about this council decision
Guelph Today article Tuesday tent fire spurs motion to create new safety by-law