​No Fixed Address:

A Talk About Homelessness and Encampments
February 22, 2024

Jaime Stief

Community Advocate, Kitchener, ON
 
Jaime Stief (she/elle) is a local communications professional and community advocate regarding homelessness. She is a member of the Unsheltered Campaign and the Region's Prototyping Project, and regularly collaborates with FightBack KW. Her professional background includes nonprofit communications work for organizations that champion community engagement and the social determinants of health at the national and international levels. She is a firm believer in harm reduction, upstream thinking, grassroots advocacy, and leaning outside her comfort zone.
  • Diversity of Encampment Residents Homelessness affects a wide range of individuals, not just those battling addiction or mental health issues, but also those affected by economic challenges or personal tragedies.
  • Impact of Bylaw Enforcement Enforcement actions against encampments often exacerbate the problem by making outreach efforts more challenging and pushing people into more dangerous living situations.
  • Need for a Paradigm Shift: There's a critical need to change societal attitudes towards people experiencing homelessness, focusing on compassion and support rather than profit-driven approaches.

​With the ever escalating housing crisis, a growing number of people are confronting the harsh realities of homelessness on a daily basis. Despite concerted efforts, community services and shelter spaces are struggling to keep pace with the surging demand, leaving many without access to even these temporary solutions due to their limited capacity.

Faced with this stark reality, individuals are compelled to forge their own paths to survival, resulting in an increasing presence of makeshift shelters and tents, as residents seek safety and refuge from the often unforgiving elements.
As we grapple with the pressing need for both short-term and long-term solutions to address the root causes of homelessness, the current plight of those living outdoors remains in a state of uncertainty. What do we know about the complexities concerning the root causes and approaches to homelessness and encampments?  What responses and measures can we enact to deal with the basic needs, care, and well-being of these people? What other approaches to this issue, and what steps are other municipalities taking to assist those dealing with homelessness and living in encampments?

Compassion Beyond Profit


​Stief highlights the diversity of individuals in encampments, ranging from seniors struggling with pension coverage to individuals dealing with one life-altering event that led to homelessness. She emphasizes that everyone, regardless of their life choices, deserves basic necessities like housing and food. Her conversation with a bylaw officer underscores this point by comparing the fate of the homeless to that of convicted criminals, who still receive basic amenities.

She also discusses the impacts of bylaw enforcement on encampments, noting that cracking down on encampments leads to scattering of residents, making outreach and support more difficult and inefficient. Stief reflects on the additional challenges faced by volunteers in providing support under these conditions.

Highlighting the inadequate nature of tents as sustainable housing, Stief shares stories of individuals who choose to brave extreme weather rather than face the trauma of shelters. She points out the irony in discussing strategies to keep people warm in tents, given their inherent unsuitability for long-term habitation. Stief stresses the need for wraparound support to address the unique needs of those living in encampments, recognizing that there is no single solution to homelessness. The complexity of the issue requires a multitude of approaches.

Lastly, she reflects on a conversation post a poverty forum, acknowledging that while the tactics being used in addressing homelessness are not new, there is a pressing need for a paradigm shift in how society treats non-profitable members of the community.
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