The encampment at Weber and Victoria streets in Kitchener has been a large, visual sign of homelessness in the region -- pushing the issue to the forefront.
Regional Chair Karen Redman is addressing the problem ahead of a bid for re-election in the fall.
Redman maintains the region has continued to offer supports to encampment residents.
"If they need mental health supports or addiction supports we're there to tell them how they can connect up," she said.
Redman indicated discussion for 24-hour security at Weber and Victoria is ongoing and said the region is in "constant contact" with neighbouring businesses to ensure everyone in and around the encampment is safe.
Redman said it's on the region to make sure the encampment residents are aware of services available.
At the same time, some residents at the Weber and Victoria encampment have told CityNews that outreach workers are rarely present.
"It's incumbent on the region and our partners in the community to make sure that they know where they go to get on the housing list, where they go to access shelter, if they're eligible for Ontario Works. And, we had two or three people sign up this summer," she said.
Last fall, the region conducted a Point in Time Count finding over 1,000 people were experiencing homelessness.
"This is an all-of-region challenge. It is a provincial, national, international challenge, so this isn't specific to Waterloo Region. What we recognize is there needs to be an all-of-community response that includes medical dollars, mental health dollars," Redman said.
She said the region will meet in mid-August with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and ministers to emphasize the challenge of homelessness, in addition to lobbying other levels of government for support.
Redman cited the KW Urban Native Wigwam Project and the YW Block Line Supportive Housing as examples of projects built with the help of federal funding.
She's also maintaining the region is doing its part to address the problem with a plan to increase the number of local affordable units by ten times in five years, as well as providing a variety of shelter options.
Despite having served as regional chair through years of the pandemic, Redman said she still gets up excited to go to work.
"There is always a new challenge and I find that really stimulating. To be able to be part of a process that impacts community in a good way is really important to me," she said.
Redman is also naming the Black Lives Matter movement and truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people as issues she wants to focus on.
"I think that we're on a good path. We'll never do those things fast enough. We won't do everything right, but I think that those are things I'm personally committed to and I think our community is," she said.
She's urging residents to vote in the municipal election on October 24.
"We recognize that businesses have just really come through a really difficult time during the pandemic. We look at inflation. We look at supply chain issues and they're even impacting how quickly developers and contractors and construction is going forward," Redman said.
"All of those issues are really relevant to people, how they live their lives, where they go to work, and whether or not they can buy houses. All of those things impact people in their daily lives."
Redman officially filed her nomination papers in May and has served since 2018.
Narine Dat Sookram is also in the run for regional chair.
