Dear Community,
Today’s video gives you a glimpse into the work of our Outreach Team, and what it means to live outside in Peterborough.
Right now, our team of four walks alongside people who are unhoused and sleeping rough. Among all those we serve (see our Continuum of Care here), those living outdoors are often in the most precarious and disconnected positions.
Sleeping in a park overnight is illegal in Peterborough. When shelters are full, people risk fines or arrest. Keeping a job or making appointments is nearly impossible when you’re worried about losing your belongings. And always being reminded that you are not wanted takes a deep psychological toll.
Encampments are a visible and often uncomfortable reminder of this reality. And it’s true - parks weren’t designed for tents. They were meant as shared green spaces for recreation and gathering. But in the midst of a housing crisis, they have also become places of survival - often the only option left.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
Average rent for a 1-bedroom: $1,200+/month (plus utilities).
Ontario Works: $733/month → not enough to cover rent.
ODSP: $1,408/month →leaving just over $200 for food, utilities, and everything else.
Waitlist for Rent-Geared-to-Income housing: 7–8 years (seniors),10+ years (others).
Our overnight shelter is full every night. In September alone, we welcomed 19 new guests that had never stayed before. Every month, more folks in our community are falling into homelessness.
No public washrooms in Peterborough are open overnight.
In recent weeks, our Outreach Team has been responding to an increase in encampment clearings (see recent coverage in Arthur).
Encampment clearings don’t solve homelessness. They displace people, destroy what little stability they’ve managed, and isolate folks further from support. Those resources could be better used for housing, advocacy, and supports that bring us closer to real solutions.
As more and more of us feel the pressure of rising housing,food, and living costs, it can be tempting to direct our anxiety, fear, and anger toward those living rough; the most visible symbol of unmet basic needs. Our hope is that we continue placing the pressure on systems, and every level of government, and that we allow our anxiety to transform into empathy and creativity.
We hold to the wisdom of Potawatomi scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer: “All flourishing is mutual.”
So as we reflect - let’s ask: Are the steps we’re taking to address homelessness moving us closer to this vision, or further from it?
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