Guelph is putting together a dedicated team to respond to homeless encampments, with the pilot project set to launch next month. On July 21, council approved $260,000 from the city’s tax operating contingency reserve for a seven-month trial that will run from August 2026 through February 2027.
The move comes as the city deals with about 56 active encampments and has received 329 complaints from residents about issues like waste and safety near private property. Mayor Cam Guthrie had pushed for stronger rules, including a 50-metre buffer between encampments and homes. But council decided instead to take a broader look at the current Public Space Use bylaw and report back in the second quarter of 2027.
“These are real concerns,” Guthrie told council, acknowledging the complaints from neighbours. The bylaw, which came into effect on October 1, 2024, was meant to balance different uses of public space without banning encampments outright. It already sets some limits, such as banning encampments in parks and green spaces that share a property line with schools or daycares after a March 2025 update. The review will consider Guthrie’s ideas along with other possible changes.
The new response team will work with local agencies like Welcoming Streets and Stepping Stone to connect people living rough with housing and services. Staff will track how well it works and report back before the 2027 budget to see if the city should make the service permanent. Council also asked the mayor to step up talks with senior governments and call an emergency meeting of Wellington County’s joint social services committee about the growing number of encampments.
Coun. Cathy Downer pushed for the review over immediate expansion, saying it would allow for public consultation and input from community partners. The only vote against that approach came from Coun. Erin Caton. All other parts of the plan, including the response team, passed unanimously.
Homelessness in Guelph and Wellington County has grown in recent years. A count on October 23, 2024, found at least 335 people without stable housing, up from 270 in 2021.
