LETTER: The poor and unhoused have been forgotten

CambridgeToday received the following letter in response to a previous letter about the need for an overnight warming centre in Cambridge.

Recently, we've seen a couple of letters to the editor dealing with the poor and unhoused. The most recent, about the lack of winter warming centres in Cambridge is particularly critical given the current temperature (-13 C, 6:25 p.m., Dec. 22). 

I don't know how much clearer we have to be with both the City and Regional Councils that lives are at stake in order to get them to act and I don't mean destroying more encampments!

The City of Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo have public buildings here in the city that could be used as warming centres. Certainly, 150 Main St. has been used for that purpose historically and without incident. There are countless churches and social agencies that would be willing to step up to operate such services were funds made available by the government.

Despite record high property tax increases, the poor and homeless have been forgotten, yet again. What also seems to have been forgotten, especially in the debate about encampment removal, is that the cost of burial of unclaimed bodies falls to the Regional Government, a cost they cannot simply side-step.

Given how little concern there is for the homeless in general, let's hope the body count is minimal lest there be another debate about the out-of-control property taxes.

Indeed, housing, social assistance and other social programs are the combined responsibility of the federal, provincial and regional/municipal governments, but there appears to be little evidence of advocacy from the local and regional governments to their more senior elected bodies, other than seeking permission to bulldoze encampments.

We probably shouldn't be surprised given the Region and the City don't seem to get along which results in disadvantages to the people of Cambridge, particularly the poor and homeless. The fault lies with both local governments and is simply magnified by the indifference of the national and provincial legislatures.  

Never, in my lifetime, did I expect to see such wanton disregard for the lives of our neighbours. It's shameful, even more so given the time of year.

Merry Christmas to all!

Douglas E. Bartholomew-Saunders
Cambridge