Hamilton encampment residents frustrated with endless eviction cycle

People living in the encampments in a park in Hamilton are facing imminent eviction, but with nowhere to go they say when push comes to shove, they won’t be leaving.

‘We’ve moved through enough times now, we’ve gone somewhere where there’s no playground, no splashpad, no kids — this park was pretty much forgotten about — so this is where we’re at,” said Shawn Cook, an encampment resident.

Earlier this summer it was the Rail Trail, then they moved to Hamilton City Hall and after that it was Beasley Park.

As of Friday, Hamilton’s encampment protest is located on Wellington Street North.

“We’ve sacrificed being able to get water easily to be here and appease them, so this is where we’re staying,” said Cook.

On Wednesday, bylaw enforcement officers issued 41 trespassing notices, with an order to vacate immediately.

“We have seen some compliance at the site, voluntary compliance, as a result of the trespass notices,” said Dan Smith, the Acting Director with Licensing and Bylaw Services. “We’ve seen some new individuals, and we have seen some individuals who are refusing to leave.”

“There are people for lots of reasons, not every shelter is a fit for them, not every shelter meets their needs,” said Michelle Baird, the Director of Housing Services. “However, we do continue to work with people who are in encampments and encourage them to go to shelter where possible.”

WATCH MORE: Hamilton by-law officers tell people living outside city hall to leave immediately

Encampments in Hamilton have become a game of cat and mouse between city officials and the people living rough.

One day they’re living in a park, the next they’re being uprooted and told to go somewhere else, but advocates say until proper housing solutions are put forward, that cycle isn’t going anywhere.

“Y’know the police, the bylaw, and the mayor’s office, they can all collectively decide — it is the least we can do is stop displacing these people, so that they can get a foothold,” said Zachariah Allister, a volunteer with the Hamilton Encampment Support Network.

“A lot of these people are in the process of getting housing, or getting their lives on track so to speak and the constant displacement is setting people back, all the time,” said Allister.

Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch said in a statement, “council voted to end, rather than improve, the encampment protocol.”

“I voted against that decision because I knew it would lead to this exact situation: police chasing people from place to place without end. Council’s policy has done nothing but increase harm in our own downtown community,” further reads the statement.

“Maybe it’s time for a sanctioned site somewhere, or maybe you should build shelters better,” said Ishmael Balfour, a resident of the encampment. “There’s only two ways you can help homelessness, and sanctioned sites sound cheaper, haha!”

As enforcement looms yet again for the unhoused residents living out of the Ward 2 temporary park, the question remains, where will they go next?

“I’m just saying, if you guys come to enforce it, better plan for the whole day ’cause we’re not moving,” said Cook.

READ MORE: Encampment protest at Hamilton City Hall reaches one month, facing threats of removal