City of Lethbridge seeing positive changes with implementation of new encampment strategy

In May, the City of Lethbridge unveiled a new tiered response to dealing with encampments.

The City of Lethbridge says a new encampment strategy put in place earlier this year seems to be working.

Matt Pitcher, housing solutions coordinator for the City of Lethbridge, says one of the significant changes they've seen is a decrease in the number of "entrenched" encampments.

Instead, Pitcher says more people are setting up encampments in the evening and then leaving the following morning.

"So they're a lot more mobile in that nature," Pitcher added, saying that's much safer than entrenched encampments.

Pitcher says the city has received 174 calls about encampments from June 19 - Aug. 11, 61 of which were identified as requiring varying levels of support.

There have been 14 coordinated encampment cleanups and a total of 542 structures removed and 27,000 kilograms of debris removed.Residents that see an encampment can call 311 or report the location online.

The calls are then triaged according to encampment response protocols and teams are deployed.  

The first tier involves the clean sweep program and city administration, the second includes social services and outreach and the third involves social services, outreach and police.

"We are seeing a lot of compliance," said Sgt. Ryan Darroch with the downtown policing unit. "We are seeing less encampments week to week, and I feel like that is from the constant presence and constant pressure from encampment response team working together."

Pitcher says the team has been responded to areas outside of the downtown more often.

Put into operation in July was the Street Medicine Outreach Program, operated by the Blood Tribe Department of Health. The service provides on-site supports, medical assistance and connects those in need to resources.

Darroch says the program has made a huge impact.

"When we can help connect more people to the health and wellness services they need, combined with the housing supports, it goes a long way in getting folks into a safe environment and off the streets," he said.

HOT WEATHER

Pitcher says recent hot weather has been impacting their efforts.  

 "We do recognize in those extreme temperatures, that packing up your belongings and moving is very burdensome," Pitcher said. "So, we've actually, for this week in particular, we've delayed the encampment response - the coordinated clean up - that our team and all of our stakeholders engage in."

Darroch says the heat has also increased the number of in EMS calls for people in distress.

"Drug use and encampment lifestyle, there are a lot of people who do get severely dehydrated, and you sprinkle some 37 C degree heat on top of that, it makes it very difficult for them," he said.