Encampments in Peel
Peel Region is facing an affordable housing crisis with many residents struggling to get and keep affordable housing and experiencing homelessness.
As Service Manager, Peel’s Housing Services oversees emergency shelters, collaborates with community partners to deliver housing and wraparound supports, delivers 24/7 outreach services, and builds more housing.
With growing needs, limited resources, and a shelter system significantly over capacity, some homeless residents are sleeping individually or in groups in temporary outdoor accommodations (encampments).
We’re committed to helping residents get and keep housing they can afford, and providing appropriate supports based on individual needs. Recognizing the unique needs and complexities of homeless residents staying in encampments, Peel is undertaking a co-designed, collaborative approach that balances rights-based principles and housing supports, with community health and safety for all Peel residents.
Program design
In Spring 2024, we established the Peel Encampments Working Group. The working group includes representatives from the City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, and City of Mississauga, along with service providers, community partners, Peel Regional Police, and other stakeholders with expertise in this field.
The working group is tasked with developing Peel’s Encampment Policy Framework and Protocols which will be shared publicly at a Peel Regional Council in fall 2024.
A key component of this work will be collecting Peel residents’ and businesses’ views on responding to encampments.
Who to contact
The encampment surveys for residents and businesses are closed. The surveys had a high response rate, and we appreciate your participation. We are currently analyzing the data and will share the survey results soon.
If you have any questions or concerns about encampments, use the listed contact methods:
- Email us if you have any questions about Peel Region's encampment policy framework and joint protocols.
- If you're worried about someone living on the street, call the Street Helpline for 24/7 homelessness support at 1-877-848-8481.
- If you see excessive litter in a park or encampment, call 311.
- If you witness any illegal activity or a health emergency, call 911. Do not attempt to handle the situation yourself.
Encampments at a glance
| Week | Municipality | Total active encampments | Encampment inquiries | Interactions with residents | Residents moved to shelter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week of November 22 | Brampton | 30 | 4 | 20 | 15 |
| Caledon | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Mississauga | 14 | 0 | 81 | ||
| Week of December 6 | Brampton | 25 | 37 inquiries to Service Brampton | 14 | 3 |
| Caledon | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Mississauga | 11 | 0 | 57 | ||
| Peel Region | 36 | 92 inquiries to Peel Region and Outreach | 71 |
The interactions we report are not unique to individual clients, but the number of times the Street Outreach team has interacted with clients. In addition, higher numbers appear in Mississauga due to the large encampment at Dundas shelter. Also, total inquiries in Mississauga will be added to this reporting in January 2025.