Homeless encampment in Chatham. (Photo by Jaryn Vecchio)
Chatham

CK council set to discuss encampment issue for third straight meeting

Chatham-Kent's (CK) council meets on Monday with hopes of finding a temporary solution to the local encampment issue.

This will be the third straight meeting that will see encampments as the main topic of discussion, after talks were postponed twice.

The first delay occurred at the end of July during a special council meeting. It happened after concerns were raised about the limited spots for people to set up a tent on public lands if the distance from private property was increased from 10 metres to 100 metres.

CK council ended up approving this change earlier this month, but talks were delayed once again before an encampment bylaw could be established after the realization that this would result in no viable spots for people to set up a tent anywhere in Chatham.

According to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), this would be illegal, as the Ontario Courts have decided that people can live on public lands if there's not enough shelter space in the community.

Council's meeting gets underway at 6 p.m.

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