A Chatham Councillor is set to bring a separate motion at the special meeting of Council on Monday, July 28, 2025 in regards to encampments.
Michael Bondy, who has stated he intends to run for Mayor in the 2026 election, will bring the following motion, which was sent to local media, at Monday’s meeting:
– Temporary Shelters are permitted to be erected on Municipal lands from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise by any person experiencing homelessness. Temporary Shelters shall be subject to guidelines pertaining to location, size, and other guidelines that may be adopted by the Mayor, Council, or Administration.
– No person may use, occupy, maintain, place, erect, or construct, or cause to be used, occupied, maintained, placed, erected, or constructed, a shelter, tent, building, or other structure on Municipal lands except: a. as permitted in 1 above; b. as permitted by permit; or c. by the authority of Council.
– A peace officer, bylaw enforcement officer, police officer, or any authorized agent of Chatham-Kent for this purpose may remove, seize, and impound or cause the removal, seizure, or impoundment of any property or thing that unlawfully occupies, or has been unlawfully placed or left on Municipal lands.
“Temporary sheltering by persons experiencing homelessness has become a challenge across the United States and Canada,” Bondy stated, in the background portion of his motion.
“Several strategies have been adopted over the years, and yet there remains a significant population that is either unwilling or unable to find more permanent shelter.”
Bondy added: “Council has constructed and continues to construct geared-to-income housing to meet housing needs. Council also has funded the Victoria Park Place Emergency Housing and is constructing temporary shelters on Park Avenue which will be available in the immediate future.”
Despite the efforts of Council and Administration, Bondy said temporary overnight sheltering needs have transformed into full-time permanent encampments.
“This has also been the experience of most cities in Canada,” he said.
“Until December 2024, there have been several court rulings that dealt with specific circumstances, and some interpreted these cases as preventing municipalities from certain actions and sanctioning permanent encampments. These cases left municipalities wondering what, if anything, they could do to regulate encampments, and specifically permanent encampments.”
Bondy added: “On December 23, 2024, Ontario’s Superior Court upheld a Hamilton bylaw completely banning temporary shelters on public lands. It is the first time that the Court has directly dealt with the issue, and it took three years for it to wind through the courts. As a result, some cities are adopting the Hamilton policies, which appear to find the balance between the rights of the public, the rights of the municipalities, and the rights of persons experiencing homelessness.”
Bondy says his motion “reflects that same balancing.”
As previously reported, Mayor Darrin Canniff is expected to present the following motion at Monday’s meeting as well:
Whereas the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Ontario has increased by 25% since 2022;
And Whereas the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased by over 150% in rural Ontario communities and specifically 94% in Chatham since 2022;
And Whereas Chatham-Kent currently has 1396 households waiting an estimated 8 years for affordable housing;
And Whereas Mayor and Council have sent the following letters to the province urging action on the systemic causes of homelessness.
And Whereas Provincial funding for the Homeless Prevention Program remains frozen at 2023 levels;
And Whereas the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has forecasted that homelessness will double in Ontario without significant additional actions;
And Whereas encampments are neither safe nor acceptable forms of housing for any community member;
And Whereas Chatham-Kent does not have the necessary supports, housing or services needed to adequately house and support all Chatham-Kent residents in need;
And Whereas Chatham-Kent has spent a significant amount of money in providing accessible options for emergency housing yet the systemic causes of homelessness continue to be unresolved by the provincial and federal government, leaving municipalities across Ontario unequipped to adequately respond to this crisis;
And Whereas Council voted unanimously to pass November 4th, 2024 encampment protocols;
Therefore, be it resolved that:
1. The current encampment protocols be amended to require encampments be 100 metres away from any private property line with a habitable residence.
2. Administration continues to work in collaboration with ROCK to engage with individuals and prioritise them for services and housing as they become available.
3. Administration voluntarily transitions as many homeless individuals as possible to the new transitional cabins program thereby diminishing the number of people in encampments.
4. Administration actively pursues all options to reduce and end encampments in Chatham-Kent. This will include, but not be limited to, exploring opportunities to immediately deliver permanent supportive housing, increased shelter spaces, and increased transitional cabins. A report back from administration on possible options and costing be returned to Council as soon as possible. The same recommendations should be presented to the provincial and federal government for financial assistance.
5. Administration explore local housing options that could be quickly converted into supportive housing and report back on feasibility and costs.
6. The current encampment protocols be amended to include a provision that there is to be no more than one tent per person, and that all personal items be stored within a tent (with exception of a bicycle) ; items in contravention to this will be removed following notice. Administration be directed to enhance the frequency of refuse collection at encampment sites.
7. Administration bring back a by-law as soon as possible to allow for the enforcement of the approved protocols to begin.
8. Administration hire additional temporary by-law officers to enforce these amendments. Administration to report back recommendations on numbers and costs based on the approved protocol amendments.
9. CK Police install CCTV cameras where operationally required at the sole discretion of Chatham-Kent Police.
At Monday’s meeting, Council is expected to discuss the current Encampment Protocol and strategies on how best to navigate this evolving situation, Municipal officials say.
The goal of this meeting will be to guide a strategic response to encampments in the community going forward, Municipal officials added.
“Encampments are an incredibly complex and constantly evolving situation,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff, in a media release.
“While we must show empathy and understanding for those experiencing homelessness, we also have a responsibility to support the safety, well-being, and quality of life for neighbouring residents and businesses. I’m calling this special meeting of Council so we can work together as a community to find an actionable and compassionate path forward.”
Chatham-Kent staff and Council members continue to actively advocate with Provincial and Federal levels of government for funding and resources to better deal with the homelessness issues that are being experienced both in Chatham-Kent and by many communities in Canada.
The Municipality is committed to ensuring that our community’s concerns are heard at the highest levels of government.
For information and frequently asked questions about encampments in Chatham-Kent, residents are encouraged to visit: www.chatham-kent.ca/community/housing/Pages/Encampment-FAQ.aspx
