Downtown homeless camp slowly shrinking

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on September 1, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber One of the few remaining elements of the Civic Centre tent encampment is seen Wednesday.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

A runner using the Civic Centre track early on a week day morning provided stark contrast to the sight city residents have become accustomed to seeing there.

With the exception of one small enclave across from the public library where homeless can also be seen congregating, the proliferation of tents at the Civic Centre is for the most part gone.

According to the City, during the week of Aug. 19-25 the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Outreach Mobile Team/Community Links staff were on the site for one round per day and had 21 unique interactions with people living at the Civic Centre.

A total of 387 interactions across the city were completed by the OMT/Community Link which includes intakes, referrals and rapport-building.

Since July, the OMT has been providing outreach support and referrals to the city’s vulnerable who live in encampments throughout Lethbridge.

The City says service providers and community groups on a daily basis are extending outreach and making connections with at-risk residents. The Clean Sweep Program has responded to 150 calls of encampments in Lethbridge with about 95 per cent of those being resolved successfully, larger established ones excluded.

During camp responses since June 1, 1,048 needles and 40 pipes have been disposed of. On Aug. 10 alone, 74 needles and three pipes were cleaned up. On Aug. 10, the Clean Sweep Program removed 1,130 kilograms of debris from the Civic Centre track area.

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