CAMBRIDGE - Yesterday's announcement about new provincial legislation targeting homeless encampments was something social workers across the province and here in Waterloo region were expecting and dreading.
The premier joined 15 Ontario mayors to announce the Safer Municipalities Act at Queen's Park on Thursday.
In addition to giving municipalities the go ahead to clear encampments without the threat of legal challenges, the newly tabled Bill 242 would see police begin imposing heavy fines and prison time for anyone caught using illicit drugs in public.
Social workers at one of the largest harm reduction and advocacy organizations in the region are calling the legislation "inhumane" and "irresponsible."
"Criminalizing public use I think it is incredibly ironic considering we're also closing CTS [Consumption and Treatment Services] sites and the provincial legislation is minimizing and making it that much harder for us to provide harm reduction in the community," said Julie Kalbfleisch, communications manager for Sanguen.
At yesterday's press conference, Ford said "Enough is enough," and that these measures will crack down on encampments and open use of drug use.
“The people are using illicit drugs in parks, we’re going to make sure that they are treated appropriately,” said Ford. “I don’t direct the police or the courts, but this is going to give them tools to make sure that people aren’t using illicit drugs — heroin, cocaine, fentanyl.”
If passed, the new legislation will give police more power to ticket and arrest individuals who are using illegal drugs in public, including fines of up to $10,000 and six months in jail.
These measures are a step backwards says Kalbfleisch, adding that previous attempts to criminalize drug use didn't work and only further stigmatized those who suffer from addiction.
"At the end of the day, folks will go into jail and come out the other side and there will still not be the broader solutions that are needed and so we will just perpetuate the cycle, we will make it worse," she said.
MPP Brian Riddell declined an interview with CambridgeToday, but in an emailed statement he echoed the premier's hopes to clean up parks give mayors what they want.
“We’re strengthening public safety in Ontario communities by providing municipalities and police with new enforcement tools and resources," wrote Riddell.
“Families deserve to enjoy their local parks and playgrounds without fearing for their kids. People facing homelessness or addiction and mental health challenges should be supported in the right settings.”
The Cambridge MPP added that these tools will address the growing problem of homeless encampments and crack down on illegal drug use in parks and public spaces.
The province has also announced $75.5 million in funding for housing and $20 million for shelter capacity.
Kalbfleisch thinks while these numbers sound like a lot, when dealing with the current housing crisis and opioid epidemic it's only a drop in the bucket.
In Ontario, there are 444 municipalities recognized by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). If the province splits the money up evenly, each municipality would be given around $170,000 for affordable housing and $45,000 for shelter spaces, she said.
"We know that there are 2,300 folks right now who are homeless in our community. So when you break it down like that, it's just this hamster wheel that we keep getting on and it's easy to do because the headlines sound great," said Kalbfleisch.
"Like $75 million is more money than most of us can ever imagine, but when you're trying to operate a municipality that serves all members of the community; that's not a lot of money for folks who are struggling with homelessness."
Sanguen, which operates a community health van in Cambridge, also worries that if CTS sites are closing and individuals are not allowed to use in encampments or public spaces, they will continue to use alone and find places to hide.
Kalbfleisch said this would create situations where the likelihood of death increases as social workers are unable to find and reverse overdoses.
Now that the bill has been introduced to the Ontario legislature, it will not have an opportunity to be passed until after MPPs reconvene on March 3.
- With files from The Trillium.