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Health conditions on Lewis Street at Warmland Centre a danger to the community

The effort has been thwarted each time by Warmland management encouraging these people to stay there
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Health conditions on Lewis Street at Warmland Centre a danger to the community

Warmland in Duncan has for the past year encouraged the homeless to congregate outside of their business. The municipality has spent millions trying to control and clean up after these people. The effort has been thwarted each time by Warmland management encouraging these people to stay there.

The street residents have endured the filth and smell of urine and seen the accumulation of piles of belongings and garbage in the area and on the street and inside the Warmland courtyard. At one time it was so bad that we had rats running around. This area stinks of feces and urine and needs to be disinfected. The street people are transient and wander the whole area and are filthy and sick. They are dope addicts seen shooting up on the street in front of Warmland and residents of our street do not dare walk up to that end of the street to go to stores or town.

The policies and practices of this Warmland management present a clear and present health hazard to everyone in our area and a greater danger to the residents of Lewis Street.

Police and bylaw people have worked diligently to keep this situation under control but at every turn residents have seen Warmland undermine their efforts going out and encouraging and feeding these people.

I would suggest at this time with all governments working to keep people safe that if Warmland wants these people then get Warmland to open the rooms they have for cold nights and put these homeless people in front of their building and in their courtyard inside with all their luggage and garbage and under quarantine until this danger has been dealt with. The street and surrounding areas should be sprayed with disinfectant and sanitized. They should not be allowed to return to Lewis Street.

This Lewis Street situation has been a severe health hazard for over a year and this is an opportunity for authorities to recognize it as a danger to the residents in the whole area. Why should one shelter group of people be able to cause such harm to one area? Every building in the area has had to find needles and drug paraphernalia on our properties and anything not tied down has been stolen. It is time to seize the opportunity to put an end to this and let the people in Warmland who encourage this to have to look after them. They have the room and profess to spend tax dollars on them so let’s get officials to let Warmland have to look after them.

Larry Woodruff

Resident, Lewis Street