The hard truth: Some homeless don’t want help

By Kevin Klein, columnist, Winnipeg Sun

Published July 18, 2025

[I have copied Kevin Klein's column below as it is the first real commentary on the state of the encampments in the media for some time. I am meeting with Mayor Gillingham on Monday to discuss this sorry state of affairs, along with residents along the Assiniboine River that are also impacted by the encampments, so I'd love to hear your comments. -- John]

Let’s stop pretending the homelessness crisis will be solved by building more units or handing out more contracts. The problem is no longer just about housing. And many of those living in Winnipeg’s growing encampments don’t actually want a permanent home — at least not under the conditions the average taxpayer might expect.

That’s the hard truth politicians won’t say out loud.

The City of Winnipeg just awarded a contract to Main Street Project under its “Your Way Home” homeless strategy — despite growing concern that the organization openly downplays basic law enforcement. According to multiple sources, including Marion Willis from St. Boniface Street Links, MSP representatives told officials in a recent closed-door meeting that crimes like shoplifting should be dismissed as “survival crimes.” Not handled by police. Not tracked. Not prosecuted. Just excused.

This is what we’re funding now.

And when columnist Marty Gold asked questions, he wasn’t met with answers. He was stonewalled by a provincial advisor — someone who doesn’t answer to voters but still shapes policy. When public safety is being compromised and tax dollars are handed over, residents deserve accountability. Not lectures about protocol and press secretaries. Not spin.

Encampments in the East Exchange are now so dangerous that some seniors say they’re scared to leave their buildings. Business owners are warning of collapse. A representative told Mayor Gillingham and Councillor Santos last week that crime and lawlessness are spreading fast — and they’re right. The enabling of drug use without consequences, and the tolerance of illegal encampments, is breaking these communities.

Santos’ response? She’s on vacation and says she’ll consider hosting a meeting “later this fall.”

That tells you everything.

We’ve tried compassion without accountability. We’ve funded outreach. We’ve expanded shelters. We’ve built housing. But results matter, and the numbers are going the wrong way. If a strategy produces more chaos, more addiction, more deaths, and more destruction of neighbourhoods, it’s time to rethink the entire approach.

Because here’s what no one in government will say: Some homeless individuals do not want housing — at least not the kind with rules. They don’t want curfews, sobriety requirements, shared spaces, or expectations. They prefer freedom on their own terms, even if it means living in squalor, trespassing on private land, and committing crimes to get by.

That’s not a housing issue. That’s a public safety issue.

And ignoring it has consequences. When we blur the line between illegal behaviour and “survival,” we send a message: laws don’t apply to everyone. Steal from a store? Sleep in a park? Take over a vacant lot? No problem — it’s all part of the system now.

But when there’s no accountability, chaos grows. And eventually, it takes over.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about being heartless. It’s about being honest. We should help those who want help — and we should make real treatment and recovery available. But enabling addiction and excusing crime under the guise of compassion is just cruelty with a different label. It ruins neighbourhoods. It hurts the vulnerable. It pushes people deeper into dysfunction.

Other jurisdictions are learning that lesson.

In San Diego, officials launched a push to clear encampments and steer people into shelters. Within six months, downtown crime dropped, businesses reopened, and shelter use went up. City leaders made it clear: you can’t stay on the sidewalk. You can’t refuse help and expect to be left alone to break the law.

In Houston, a strategy rooted in measurable goals helped reduce homelessness by over 60% in a decade. They housed over 25,000 people — but the key was coordination and accountability. Non-profits worked together, data was tracked, and funding was tied to results. If an agency wasn’t delivering, it didn’t keep getting cheques.

In Alberta, the UCP government has pushed hard on recovery-oriented care — not free drugs, not safe supply, but actual treatment. Detox, transition housing, and long-term rehab beds are being funded with the expectation that people will get better, not just survive.

That’s what leadership looks like.

Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, we hand out contracts to groups that encourage lawlessness and dodge media questions. We sit through meetings where “survival crimes” are debated like they’re policy options. And we let councillors go on holiday while some residents can’t even safely use a public sidewalk.

It’s time to stop calling this a housing crisis. It’s a leadership crisis.

City Hall doesn’t know how to fix homelessness. Neither does the province. That’s why we keep seeing the same strategy: throw money at service providers, avoid tough conversations, and hope things don’t get worse before the next election.

Except things are worse.

The Winnipeg Police won’t excuse “survival crimes.” They’ve said so. And it’s not their job to make excuses. Their job is to keep people safe. But their hands are tied when the political class turns a blind eye to what’s really happening on our streets.

And the people paying the price aren’t the politicians. They’re the residents of the Exchange District, Point Douglas, West Broadway — anywhere where encampments take root and disorder follows.

We need to ask real questions: What are the rules for receiving public funding as a non-profit? What is expected of the people in encampments? Are we measuring outcomes — or just doling out cash with no strings attached?

More importantly, who is protecting the rest of us? Who is standing up for business owners? For seniors? For kids trying to walk to school?

If this is a crisis — and it is — then leadership demands urgency, clarity, and accountability. Not bureaucratic excuses. Not vague plans. And not more of the same.

A real solution begins with this: you can’t force someone into housing, but you also can’t let them destroy a community. You can’t ignore the law, then act surprised when crime rises. You can’t fix a problem by refusing to name it.

This is not just about being tough. It’s about being smart.

Help those who want help. Invest in real treatment. Fund results, not ideology. And most of all, protect the people who play by the rules and deserve to live in a safe city.

Because if we don’t draw the line now — the chaos will become the new normal.

And that’s something Winnipeg can’t afford.