Region erects fencing around 150 Main St. encampment

The Region of Waterloo erected fencing Wednesday around a growing homeless camp at 150 Main. St. in Cambridge.

Officials say the fencing was put up for safety reasons because the 20 or so residents living in tents there are inches from the parking lot at the region’s social services building.

“Pitching tents in a parking lot is unsafe and recognizing that we have people who are living there we felt it was important to do what we can to decrease the risk of somebody getting hurt and so we made the decision to put in some fencing,” said Peter Sweeney, the region’s commissioner of community services.

Fencing is about 4.5 metres from the entrances to residents’ tents. The camp has grown from about 10 tents last week to about 16, with 22 people.

Many of the current residents previously resided at property abutting 150 Main, at 55 Kerr St., which is owned by a private developer.

Those residents were told in early September that they had to leave. Most moved to the strip of mulched area on the region’s property. Tents open onto the parking lot.

The region’s outreach partners are working with people at the site to discuss alternatives, Sweeney said.

People at the site have said they don’t know where else to go. Shelters are full.

A point in time count in the fall estimated more than 400 people were sleeping outside. People working in the sector say that number has grown and that more than 500 people are now on the region’s prioritized housing list.

Residents say they were informed last week the Kerr Street property owner wanted them to leave. Some people have been living there for about two months.

The site developer is 50 Shade Street Investments.

Planned for the one-hectare site at Kerr and Shade streets are two, 18-storey condo buildings.

The project was approved in November. Permits haven’t been issued for the build.