Chatham's biggest homeless encampment is staying in its current location, at least for now.
Chatham-Kent's (CK) council met on Monday, where they tried to approve a bylaw outlining all the rules that anyone living in a tent on public lands must follow.
A final decision was postponed to council's next meeting on August 25, 2025. This was done after changes to the municipality's encampment protocols that council first approved in 2024 would have eliminated all potential spots for people to set up a tent.
The biggest change was the distance tents must be from residential properties. It was originally set at 10 metres, but has now increased to 100 metres.
This requirement means the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) property at 325 Grand Avenue East, the current location of Chatham's largest encampment for the past month, couldn't be used. Since the bylaw wasn't approved and the protocols can't be enforced, the encampment will stay until other alternatives can be found.
The only location in Chatham that followed the majority of protocols, which also includes 100 metres from businesses, 25 metres from construction sites, and 10 metres from recreational paths, was the Thames Grove Conservation Area, south of Grand Avenue East along Kingsway Drive.
The only issue with the location was a disc golf course which, under the protocols, was too close.
Council originally approved an amendment that would have allowed the municipality's administration to close or adjust recreational amenities that don't align with the protocols. However, a second vote was held after Mayor Darrin Canniff said he wanted to change his 'yes' to 'no'. The amendment was defeated during the second vote, meaning no locations in Chatham met the requirements under the protocol.
Canniff said he wanted to change his vote after realising the amendment would make Thames Grove Conservation Area the only suitable location.
The changed vote on the recreational amenities amendment made some members of CK's council unwilling to pass the bylaw since it outlined no viable spots for people staying in tents to stay.
It wasn't made clear what would happen to these people, though some believe many would probably move back to the downtown core.
After the meeting, Canniff told reporters he expects some solutions will be brought forward at the next meeting.
