Lethbridge city council will again discuss encampments in the wake of a shooting at the camp in Civic Centre field. The site is being cleaned up on July 14 and Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen says he is bringing a motion to council’s meeting on July 26 to discuss immediate solutions for people living in tents and the community as a whole.
READ MORE: No heightened public safety risk despite encampment shooting: LPS
“City Council knows the only way out of this cyclical encampment situation is with transitional and permanent supportive housing,” says a statement from the mayor. “The motion will look to act on what we can do as a City Council immediately to help stop the encampments from happening and what we can do in the long term to get the housing and resources we need from the Provincial Government and to not become a tax burden on our residents.”
He says he has heard concerns from community members about the encampments around the city. “I know many of you are frustrated and I am too. We do not have all of the answers and there is no simple quick fix to this situation,” he says.
The city says the cleanup efforts at the Civic Centre include several organizations, providing outreach and assistance.
City council is set to get an update on encampment response procedure and potential bylaw recommendations in the fall.
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READ MORE: Lethbridge plans to remove encampments more regularly: Director of Community Service