The Perfect Storm: Homelessness in the city

Richard Carpenter, 34, watches the campfire slowly burn. (Photo by Jim C Powless)

By Donna Duric Writer BRANTFORD – At least two dozen homeless people in Brantford were left scrambling to find a place to stay for the winter after their tent city was shut down. In a city struggling with overflowing shelters and a lack of affordable housing, homeless people are sleeping in ATM lobbies, stairwells, and finding brief respite in overnight shelters. Although the camp seemed to provide a homelessness solution from the perspective of the people who lived there, at least one shelter manager in Brantford believes otherwise. “I think the camp being shut down is a good thing,” said Tim Philp, executive director of Rosewood House, a 24-hour co-ed shelter. “I guarantee you that if that camp continued, someone would’ve died there.” The six-month long encampment came to an…

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