Sudbury seniors feeling unsafe due to nearby homeless encampment

A beautiful garden in downtown Sudbury used to be a safe haven for residents living in the Ukrainian Seniors Centre.

A beautiful garden in downtown Sudbury used to be a safe haven for residents living in the Ukrainian Seniors Centre.

Unfortunately, residents say that’s no longer the case because of what’s located on the other side of the fence: a growing homeless encampment.

“Not healthy and safe for the tenants anymore because they're scared to come out,” said Jim Dufour, who has lived here for five years.

“And you can't blame them, you know, because you don't know what you're going to find. Needles all over the place, garbage all over the place. So what are you going to do? Something's got to be done.”

Anna Johnston, the centre’s executive director, has been here for 15 years. While problems such as discarded needles, garbage and individuals defecating on the centre’s property aren’t new to the area, problems have escalated considerably.

“We've had to lock down the gates, add extra fencing,” Johnston said.

“They were jumping over the fence just to access our water, or to lounge and spend the night. So in the morning, you wake up and you're surprised. I've had to add extra security for the doors because they were found inside the building, as well.”