Timmins city council asks homeless shelter to look into relocation options

The dispute continues in Timmins over the location of the Living Space homeless shelter as many people have complained about an increase in crime and concerns for public safety in the area.

At Tuesday night's city council meeting, all but the mayor agreed to a call asking the shelter to consider options for relocation.

It was a near-unanimous vote for the resolution that was passed ordering the organization to conduct a review of relocation options and present the findings back to council within three months.

"Where at that time it can be explored what support the city can provide to assist in the relocation," the resolution said.

All but the mayor voted in favour.

"I still oppose this resolution," Mayor Michelle Boileau said, stressing that attempting to move homeless people out of view will not filter out crime.

"The invasion of privacy, the property crime, the break-and-enters, those will persist regardless of where our homeless shelter is located.”

She said even if the shelter moves, its clients won’t necessarily move with it and the social services board said it cannot force people into housing.

City councillor Cory Robin noted that people frustrated about this issue shouldn’t take it out on shelter staff or the homeless community.

"The Living Space itself and the people who use it and the people who work there don’t deserve this kind of abuse on a day-to-day basis," Robin said.

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The resolution also asks the social services board "to consider all current revenues and grants issued by the Province of Ontario be reviewed for their eligibility to be reallocated to help fund the relocation of the Living Space facility, including the sale of the current facility."

The consensus is that the provincial and federal governments both need to offer more support for whatever solution the city decides on.

"It’s not a partisan statement, it’s a … this is a City of Timmins issue and those two levels of government need to come to the table with the municipality and help us fund and address the issue," said city councillor Steve Black.

"We’re looking for a national, a provincial strategy on how to really address this because municipalities just don’t have the capacity to do it," Boileau said.

A copy of the resolution along with a letter "urgently requesting the upper levels of government work together to secure funding to establish a new full-service facility in Timmins that is inclusive of 24/7 services including housing/shelter, food, mental health and addictions treatment/counselling, job and education training" will also be sent to area politicians and ministries for both the provincial and federal government.

Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) said an all-in-one facility providing various services is not the shelter's mandate.

"The only concern of a homeless shelter should be housing and housing diversion, to get people housed," said Brian Marks, the CAO of CDSSAB.

"Because 99 per cent of people with addictions issues are already housed."

He said those people are able to access services in a safe environment.

She said the city is doing what it can to support businesses and residents and will do a better job of communicating the action underway and the relevant data that people need.

The mayor said it is a frustrating issue and that this latest council decision shows that it’s listening.