https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manito...

The head of an organization that does outreach work with homeless people east of the Red River in Winnipeg says they've never seen as many encampments as they have this year.

"I can't actually give you a number … but I can tell you that this year, on our side of the river, in eastern Winnipeg, there are more encampments than there have ever been," said Marion Willis, executive director of St. Boniface Street Links.

The group's outreach teams have counted more than 40 camps this year, some of which have been dismantled. The organization houses an average of 30 people per month, but Willis says the problem shows no signs of improvement.

While their teams work to build relationships with people living in encampments, connect them with housing and addiction services, and provide ongoing support, Willis said the scale of the issue and the deeply rooted problems facing individuals goes beyond what her organization and others in the city can address.

"There's going to be people that we might house eight different times, but you continuously work to house people," she said.

On the other side of the river in Point Douglas, Jordan Van Sewell said concerns with people living in a camp along the riverbank are driving some longtime residents out of the neighbourhood.