The City of Calgary has elected to make the Joint Encampment Team (JET) permanent after the efforts of the group produced encouraging results during its pilot.

The team was created to investigate the concerns of citizens and potential hazards regarding homeless camps in Calgary while ensuring the health and safety needs of the at-risk camp residents were addressed.

“Encampments can have a negative impact for park users by creating bio hazards, as well as problems with litter and debris,” explained Jennifer Lawlor, a business strategist with the City of Calgary who leads the project. “People experiencing homelessness often have health issues, and there can be items that can pose health and safety risks. It’s important to realize that these encampments are often not safe for the occupants themselves.”

According to City officials, the members of JET responded to more than 1,500 encampment reports in 2018  and the group helped 46 vulnerable Calgarians secure permanent housing in the last eight months.

JET works alongside the two community peace officers of the Partner Agency Liaison(PAL) team, Jody St. Pierre and Melanie Thomas, who connect encampment residents with the services they require including mental health and addiction support.

“Our approach has been to keep vulnerable people in place for the short term, for those interested in seeking help, so we can continue to work with them to find solutions,” said St. Pierre in a statement. “It also gives them time to collect their most important belongings. For someone who has so little, taking away the few belonging they have can be devastating and demoralizing.”

Encampments are not permitted on public land in Calgary and citizens are encouraged to report the illegal camps to the City of Calgary via 311 without confronting the inhabitants. “The City doesn’t deal with these vulnerable citizens as criminals,” said Lawlor. “Our focus is on ensuring the safety of all our citizens and helping occupants to connect to services.”

For additional information visit the City of Calgary’s approach to illegal encampments.