The Chatham Voice, March 10, 2022

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Vol. 9 Edition 10

YOUR Independent Community Newspaper THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022

Cleanup in the core

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Homeless shelter has opposition By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

Brent Wilken/Special to The Chatham Voice

Kyleigh Mantle-Noxell had a broom in hand Saturday as part of her civic duty helping clean up downtown Chatham. The youngster was among some 20 citizens who joined together to beautify the community’s core. Organizers of ComeTogetherCK, in conjunction with CK Community Partnership, spearheaded the effort, which collected about 40 bags of trash.

Rest Easy!

A new overnight shelter for the homeless is being proposed for Chatham. The initiative – a joint project between Chatham-Kent and Chatham’s Hope Haven – was slated to come before council for approval March 7. But not everyone agrees Hope Haven is the right location for a shelter. Nest Realty owner Meg Lyttle is a downtown business owner who is one of those people. The Voice reached out to Lyttle as she is one of 218 names on a Change. org petition calling on the mayor and council to vote against Hope Haven as the site of an overnight shelter. Lyttle has had three different locations in Chatham’s core since she first set up shop in 2015. Nest is currently nestled in at 150 Wellington St., east of Hope Haven’s 183 Wellington St. location She said she’s watched the problems associated with homelessness increase over the past six years. “It has gone from bad to worse,” Lyttle said, citing

several tense situations Nest Realty employees have had with people she believes were likely associated with Hope Haven’s current day program. “We no longer feel safe in our downtown and that is not the Chatham we love,” Lyttle said. The business owner said she and her employees have had their fair share of vandalism and threats of violence - so much so she keeps the doors to the business locked most of the time. Lyttle said she sympathizes with the plight of the homeless, but she believes a downtown location for a shelter is not the answer. “Over the last few years, we have seen some significant growth and development in C-K,” Lyttle said in an e-mail statement. “Many entrepreneurs have poured their hearts into opening new vibrant businesses downtown.” The petition, started last week by downtown businessman Andrew Thiel, is gaining traction. It states that “downtown Chatham is not the place to have a homeless/emergency shelter.”

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