Advocates hold Barrie City Hall sleepout to bring attention to homelessness

A group of advocates set up tents to sleep outside of City Hall in Barrie Wednesday night in solidarity with the homeless.

The initiative, spearheaded by Ryan’s Hope, aims to call attention to what they say is a lack of support for the city’s most vulnerable.

Wednesday’s sleepout marks the second in as many months and came after Mayor Alex Nuttall led the charge to push the province to increase enforcement options to keep encampments out of public spaces.

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Last month, Nuttall said he expected some backlash after urging the province to invoke the controversial notwithstanding clause.

“We know there's going to be blowback,” the mayor said in an Oct. 31 interview with CTV News. “But the reality is we're also facing from moms who want their kids to be able to go down a slide without landing on a needle, and from people who want to be able to live in their houses.”

On Wednesday night, Ryan’s Hope co-founder, Christine Nayler, said the solution isn’t using force, but rather finding a solution to the affordable housing crisis.

“It’s a government failure, and it’s not like a moral failing on people’s part. So, we need to use our voices because our unsheltered neighbours, their voices are ignored and often unheard,” she said.

The sleepout began with a silent protest while city councillors were inside chambers at City Hall.