Tent city residents being evicted from encampment amid effort to find housing

Windsor's tent city residents were evicted from their ravine encampment Wednesday, with police on scene escorting them and their belongings out.

CBC News reported Tuesday thatan estimated 17 people living in a downtown valleynear the river were anticipatingfacing eviction. As a result, several local agencies secured emergency shelter for members of thegroup in a Sandwich Towne housing complex. It's not clear how many of the encampment residentstook up the offer for alternative housing.

The City of Windsor told CBC News on Tuesday that the land in the ravine is privately owned.

But TerraCorp Management, a property management company for the land, toldCBC News Wednesdaythatit was the city's order to have tent city residents leave, as itwasreceiving calls about it.

WATCH: Tent city in a downtown Windsor ravine has been removed

Tent city encampment removed

4 years ago

Duration 0:49

Police and clean-up crew were on scene Wednesday clearing out the tent city encampment.

(The property owner of the land isClayland Developments Ltd., whichalso owns CBC Windsor's building.)

CBC News has reached out to Auburn Development, Clayland's parent company, on the matter but did not hear back in time for publication.

In response to Terra's statementthat the city ordered the eviction, the municipality'ssenior manager of communications Jason Moore said the removal of people is "100 per cent between landowner and police and police wouldn't go without complaint."

27 rooms secured

In anticipation ofthe eviction, women connected toseveralsocial agencies in Windsor Windsor Overdose Prevention Society, YQG Cares, Helping Hearts and Hands and Homeless Advocates of Windsor secured shelter for the residents on Tuesday at a housing complexthat is managed by Property Management Solutions Windsor.

Tent city residents will still have to pay $500 a month for the rooms at thecomplex in Sandwich Towne,but the hope is that residents can start filing for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) once they have a fixed address.

Those supporting this initiative said they realize that housing won't fix everything.

So each volunteer has decided to pair up with one of the people making the transition from the tent city,to provide them with more than just housing support.

"We would be responsible, because that's the main thing of keeping someone housed is to continue to check in on them, make sure medications are being taken, make sure that the rent isgetting paid," said Lisa Valente, a member of YQG Cares, one of the groups helping to secure housing.