Stop sending your homeless people to London, deputy mayor says to others

Hundreds of homeless people have been shipped from other communities — some against their will or under false pretences — in the last six months, the city's deputy mayor alleges, calling for the practice to stop. 

The idea that other towns and cities send people here has been a long-running and often-repeated rumour in London, said Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis. 

"It has been conjecture and speculation and rumour over the years, but now we are starting to get some hard data," he said.

Lewis has written a letter to be added to the agenda of next week's meeting of Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting. The letter, which you can read at the bottom of this story, asks city politicians to condemn "the relocation of homeless individuals under false pretences and against their will." 

Lewis' letter goes so far as to recommend holding back city funding and accreditation from organizations that send people to London under false pretences. It also calls on the city to work with the province to provide supports and transportation home to people discharged from London's jails and hospitals. 

"Our available housing inventory, particularly in the rental market, is effectively zero," Lewis writes in his letter. "Unfortunately, that fact is seemingly being ignored by some in other jurisdictions across Ontario." 

Lewis and city staff went over information voluntarily reported to outreach workers and kept as data in the city's tracking system. The information includes the home communities of people seeking services in London. 

According to Lewis's letter, in the first six months of this year London staff diverted 319 people back to communities "where they have a natural support network" after they came to London seeking service. 

Of those 319 people, more than a quarter were sent to London "against their will or under false pretences by various individuals and organizations from outside London," Lewis said. 

In an interview with CBC News, the Ward 2 councillor admitted the data isn't perfect because it's based on voluntary disclosure from clients. However, he said it does "create a snapshot" of how many people are coming to London.

"We now have a number attached to it and it's a big number," said Lewis. 

Lewis said he doesn't want to point fingers or "name and shame" other communities as culprits. The people showing up on London's streets come from many different communities and have unique stories and reasons for being here, he added.

People are free to choose to come to London, Lewis said, but he's concerned about people being sent to the city under false pretences, namely that housing is plentiful and services easy to access.

"I've heard lots of stories about people being provided some pocket money and a bus ticket to London or a ride to London," he said.