Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me, These Houseless Won’t Let Us Be

In February, I predicted Lethbridge City Council would soon succumb and call for the Alberta sheriffs’ deployment to help with encampment issues. https://yalebelanger.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/theres-a-new-sheriff-in-town-needed-or-not/

Lo and behold, last Tuesday the communiqué was penned, the envelope waxed and stamped, the stagecoach dispatched, and now we await the word of Fort Edmonton.

While writing that blurb, I did assume that the sheriffs would be called to intervene after the Council had exhausted its various options. 

An act of last resort, as it were. So, with options still available, why pull the trigger now and request outside reinforcements?

City Council And Homelessness: The Art of Misdirection

Here’s where things get a wee dicey because publicly council members have generally been saying all of the right things. To be honest, even I’ve identified some positive outcomes. 

Which means City Council’s houseless response hasn’t been an absolute gong show.

Of course, much of this is subjective based on where you may have slept last night.

But digging a little deeper, another story starts to emerge, one where the authentic victims of this crisis are finally identified. 

We’re off!

Just The Facts, Man!

Counc. Ryan ‘Charter’ Parker’s proclamation that the city had the right to raze the encampments is a good place to start. Adversarial and divisive. Don’t forget he denied the houseless their Charter rights.

More recently Counc. John Middleton-Hope publicly stated, “Housing and homelessness is primarily a provincial responsibility.”

His comments represent a critical line in the sand and resonate with those of former mayor and current Counc. Rajko Dodic’s appeal to City Council to stay “in their [sic] own lane” and not wade into areas that are more properly the domain of other Orders of Government.

That’s a lot, right? There’s more??

As we observed last year, encampment razing is now a legitimate summer pastime in LA despite various courts opposition to its pursuit. It’s also a human rights violation that breaches federal law … there’s that too.

Admittedly, it’s looking pretty ugly. Just wait!

Remember when City Council came up short with the Mustard Seed? And failed to secure third-sector support for its budgeted outreach programs? Don’t forget the warming centre debacle (so says Counc. JHM).

Finally, the city will presently be handing over the CBO to LHA. An initial worry is how long it’ll take for bureaucratic and operational transitions to take effect. It is a hand-off nonetheless.

What’s Really Going On Here?

There’s no sense in rehashing everything when you can simply see that the City Council considers the houseless to be a political and legal liability. A pain in ass, really.

At least that’s the message I get when I appraise its actions and words.

Everything I’ve detailed further points to intentional inaction on the City Council’s part. It’s as though it helped to foster and sustain a crisis only to admit defeat. Overwhelmed victims of circumstance.

‘Cause really, no one signed up for this. Point me to the ribbon cutting and Whoop-Up Days celebrations! Remember the 2022 Brier, Mayor Hyggen? Good times!

Someone else’s turn to shoulder the burden, and this is where the sheriffs comes into play.

Once deployed, it’s suggested, the sheriffs will be able to keep folks from congregating in the core … hidden in the parks and alleyways … all the while politely ‘discouraging’ them from setting up shelter in the commons.

Arguably, if everything falls into place City Council can effectively bypass these legal and political concerns.

How so, you ask? If all the issues discussed hinge on encampments going up, then keeping them down helps to absolve the city of any responsibility.

Unrolling The Strategy

It’s just not the sheriffs that’s needed, though, and here’s how I see this undeclared and conjectured strategy working, within an institutional ecosystem.

Say you have an issue with houseless folks nearby your property. Call the sheriffs!

Are you unhappy with homelessness programming? Call Lethbridge Housing!

Several displaced houseless milling about Indian Battle Park? Signal the LA po-po!

Indigenous people nearby? Write a letter to the Lethbridge Herald inciting everyone you know to sue nearby band councils for polluting our fair city with their outcasts. (https://yalebelanger.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/its-not-the-anonymous-youre-thinking-of/)

Concerned that your rights are being violated? Screw that – sue us! We dare you, to paraphrase ol’ ‘Charter’ Parker. (https://yalebelanger.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/just-when-you-think-youve-turned-a-corner/)

Unforced Errors Or Intentionally Forsaking The Vulnerable?

When read this way, City Council is not committing unforced errors as I’ve previously hinted. Nope. What we’re witnessing is Council’s incremental and strategic denunciation of the houseless.

In effect, City Council is trying to push the houseless file off its desk and wash its hands of the issue.

And a way to accomplish this goal in real time is to have the sheriffs come in to physically push the houseless to the city margins. Or, preferably, out of town.

Don’t believe me?

Here I’ll grant the final word on this issue to a regular Lethbridge Herald contributor-slash-anonymous provocateur who goes by Lethrez (shocker, right?)

“Here’s a wacky concept: prevent them from setting up their tents / encampments to begin with. The City has had all winter to come up with a strategy. No encampment, no issue.” (https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2023/04/05/mayor-to-request-sheriffs-help-to-deal-with-encampments/)

More on this next week. 

Second Final Word

I lied. I’m not giving the last word to an anonymous irritant. Sorry dude. Or dude-ette. El Duderino? Who gives a flying … !!

Have you ever wondered how despite their self-proclaimed best efforts; City officials continue to bungle the houseless response?

Or why the houseless crisis is permitted to consistently snowball as most Council members remain cool calm and collected?

Publicly fretful but operationally ineffectual?

Arguably it’s what the Council wants. That’s got to be the answer. If not, this is the most incompetent congress of elected municipal officials I have ever watched try and govern.

So, what’s my answer? I’m going with manufactured crisis for $100, Alex. Here’s why: a crisis is needed to justify a call for sheriffs’ assistance. It’s also required to quietly hand off the CBO to LHA. Among other issues. 

Engineering the optics in a way to insinuate that City Council lacks agency and control ironically and quite brilliantly empowers that very Council to propel an absolution strategy while it secures the public and institutional support needed to keep the houseless out of the core.

And with total impunity. That’s something!

But it’s what’s needed if the true victims of this crisis are to ensure they have a fighting chance of taking back the city. 

This Ain’t Over!

I have intentionally avoided dealing with the request to the sheriffs, which likely speaks of crime and drugs and mayhem and … .

But isn’t the sheriffs being asked to halt encampments from growing? Is this really about crime then?

Call Tom Cruise — he can film the Minority Report sequel in LA.

Or is this about keeping a nuisance population out of our sight-lines?

Next time ‘round, I’ll be discussing these and other implications associated with the Council’s call for help.

Stay tuned.