No consultation, no warning: Brampton council threatens legal action against service providing care to region’s most vulnerable

The underfunding of Peel’s social service sector is abundantly clear on the steps of Regeneration Outreach. Operated out of Grace United Church, the organization agency offers meals, showers and connections to vital services to help the region’s most vulnerable get back on their feet. 

As housing and affordability issues have worsened across the region, the number of people seeking services at Regeneration has increased, creating tension with the surrounding community in downtown Brampton. Residents and businesses have pointed out the alcohol and drug use, loitering, and other criminal activity is becoming hard to avoid. 

Instead of consulting with the owners of this critical social service to try and find a mutual solution, Brampton’s municipal elected officials, led by Councillor Rowena Santos and Mayor Patrick Brown are threatening to sue Regeneration Outreach if the community’s concerns are not addressed. 

During a special meeting of city council on July 17, Santos tabled a motion directing the city solicitor to send a legal letter to the Grace United Church and Regeneration Outreach, demanding they address what has become a “serious health and safety concern”.  

In the motion, which was approved unanimously, council is “requiring action to be taken to address the concerns immediately or face further legal-action.”

The motion came after residents appeared before councillors sharing anxieties over public alcohol consumption, illegal drug use and an increase in crime in the area around Regeneration Outreach. Similar concerns were shared during a community meeting in mid-July, attended by councillors and Peel Police, where residents urged Brampton council to take action.

"Our neighbourhood is no longer a safe place for us to live. Things have gone from bad to worse," Kelly Walker, a representative of a community group called Residents of Alexander, Union, and Church Streets said during a delegation at the special council meeting. “On a 24-hour basis, we are subject to criminal activity, including drinking alcohol in public, the use and sale of illegal drugs, prostitution, the sex trade, trafficking, loitering and excessive litter. We are victims of theft, break-ins, robberies, and trespass on our properties."

Peel Police did not respond to a request for comment on whether officers are seeing an increase in criminal activity around the area of Regeneration Outreach. 

Santos said during the meeting that the Peel Police gathered statistics that suggest the public safety problems in the downtown core are linked to the Regeneration Outreach clients.The data she cited was not shared during the meeting.

Jenna Robson, the director of operations with Regeneration Outreach, told The Pointer neither City officials or council communicated with them prior to sending the legal threat. 

"We have not been communicated to by the City of Brampton," she said. "In the past, we had a really good partnership and relationship with them, so it was very saddening to know that they were having meetings and conversations about us without consulting us or having any conversation with us."

Regeneration Outreach has a long history of serving vulnerable individuals by offering a wide range of programs, including essential services like breakfast and lunch, haircuts, clothing and laundry as well as programs to help people get people connected with needed healthcare services.

According to the organization’s 2024 Impact report, with the assistance of 40 sharing partners, it has provided support to 488 people to obtain necessary identification; connected 215 people with income support, legal help, addiction and mental health support. In 2024, the organization was working with 629 volunteers who devoted 31,300 hours of service, with the top volunteer completing 1,202 hours of service.  

"We are bridging the gap for people who have fallen in the cracks, who are victims of the crisis that we're currently living in,” Robson said. “We are supporting them and doing the work that the system has failed in. We are not a permanent solution.”

Jenna Robson, director of operations with Regeneration Outreach, spoke with The Pointer regarding the City of Brampton’s failure to include her organization’s perspective in discussions about their future.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

Mayor Brown, claiming he “love(s) the work they do” noted Regeneration should not be located in the downtown area. 

“There's a problem with this location,” he said during the meeting. “We all have to be honest with ourselves and find out how we can make sure that the right help is available in the right location."

What he did not say is that the City of Brampton was in negotiations with Regeneration Outreach last year after the organization sought assistance in finding a new location to meet the growing needs of residents. Those negotiations broke down without a solution. It’s unclear why. A request for comment from the City of Brampton was not returned. 

"Last year we went to the city council and delegated, asking for support from the City of Brampton to help us relocate," Robson explained, admitting they have outgrown the current space at Grace United Church. "The need is greater than this area is able to give us…We had a negotiation, and that fell apart with the City, and since November 2024, we have not been in contact with them regarding finding a new location."

Edward Grove, who relies on meals and support from Regeneration Outreach, says the assistance the organization provides is critical to a large number of people.  

"Regeneration is one of the best areas for getting our lunch and our breakfast, if I ever need a bus ticket to go look at a job they gave it,” he says. “Yeah, we want them to look into what they're saying and rethink what they're doing, (but) we can't afford to make this lockdown.”

During the special council meeting, Santos said that the lease of Regeneration Outreach is concluding at the end of this year, and Grace United Church officials have also raised concerns about the property issues caused by the encampments that previously existed around the building.

"In fact… Regeneration Outreach, when they delegated to the council, admitted to handing out tents during a time last year when we were desperately trying to avoid having people sleep in encampments around a flood zone,” Santos claimed. She did not mention that the shelter system in the Region of Peel is operating well over capacity, and unhoused individuals in Brampton have few places to turn.

Robson criticized all levels of government for not taking any appropriate action to end homelessness and failing to invest adequately to care for affected residents.

"I think we are working in a very broken system," she said.

"I think it is all levels of government that are failing the whole community, our neighbors, and the people in our community that are very vulnerable…It takes the part of the community to work together at all levels of government to work together to support people in need." 

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