Tent City brings fight for affordable housing to region

After being evicted from Victoria Park earlier this week, anti-homelessness advocates have taken their tent city to the grounds ofthe provincial offences offices in Kitchener.

Tent City, led by JulianIchim, has been activefor several yearsadvocatingon a number of social issues, most predominantly the need for more affordable housing.

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Many members of the groupare struggling to find affordable housing. One such member is Samantha Stoner, who is taking part in the demonstration for the first time this year.

I have nowhere to go and that's why this is super important for me.- Samantha Stoner, Tent City member

"For me right now...If I were to go on a housing list it would take two years," Stoner told CBC KW.

"I have nowhere to go right now. I know there's not a lot of us, but it keeps us off the streets."

Keeping up with the need

Deb Schlichter, director of housing for the region, says staff have conversationswithTent City throughout the year to discuss the lack of affordable housing.

Schlichtertold CBCKW that the region has a number of initiativesto help address the issue, such as creating a new supply of affordable housing that even people on Ontario Works can affordand creating rent assistance programs.

• Region of Waterloo expands eligibility for Affordable Home Ownership Program

The difficulty iskeeping up with the demand.

"There is more need than we've been able to meet," she said. "As we've been addressing and doing really well to do that, we're just not getting to everybody."

Schlichteradds that she spoke with Tent Citymembers Wednesday night, handing out applications for housing and recommending theygo to emergency shelters, though Schlichtersaid many are not comfortable doing that or are restricted.

Stoner said she filled out an application because she can't go to Mary's Place, an emergency shelter for women in Kitchener, because she has two dogs with her.

For now, Stoner said tent city memberare getting by each day by going to nearby soup kitchens and relying on the kindness of strangers, who stop by with food and water.

However, she fears she won't know what she will do when they are asked to move.

"I know I have nowhere to go and that's why this is super important for me," she said.

"If it wasn't for this, I don't know what I'd be doing right now."