Guelph Politicast

It’s been almost a year since Guelph City Council approved the Public Space Use Bylaw. You may not see as many tents as you once did, especially in the open in places like St. George’s Square, but don’t think that they’re gone. There are still many people in Guelph who are unhoused, unwell, and are still searching for help that’s hard to come by, and this week will talk to one of the helpers. In the wake of the growing number of encampments downtown council adopted the Public Space Use Bylaw to restricted them to certain areas, and then early this year they restricted them further with an amendment to bar encampments in parks near schools and daycares. Then, the Ontario government passed new laws to allow the swift removal of encampments last month, which is all meant to appear that there's progress on dealing with homelessness.  In reality though, it has just made life for people living in encampments a lot harder. Seeking help could be an invitation to getting yourself, and anyone else in the camp, evicted,