The Region of Waterloo is the lead for housing and homelessness locally. The City of Cambridge along with other local municipalities continue to work with the Region to address the complex issue of homelessness in our communities. The number of individuals experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region has grown significantly over the past few years. The Region of Waterloo estimates there are about 1,000 people currently experiencing homelessness across the region, including about 450 people experiencing chronic homelessness. Homelessness is a complex issue that is impacted by many factors, including housing affordability, mental health and trauma, job loss, poverty, synthetic drugs and the opioid crisis. No one should feel that living rough is their only option. Our collective response requires ongoing support and compassion from our entire community, with the understanding that connecting people with the wide-range of person-centred options and services takes time and care.
The reporting function for encampments is in no way intended to initiate evictions. The report function is in place to notify City staff that there are people living in a space like an encampment so that connections and support can be provided through our outreach partners. Having awareness of where people are living is also important from a safety perspective in situations where individuals could be in danger due to flooding, fire or extreme weather. When alerted of a new encampment through our website, our staff will visit to provide a variety of services including: