A designated homeless encampment site staffed around the clock would require significant resources and could pull support away from other efforts to address homelessness, a new City of Winnipeg report says.

In December, city council voted to have the public service study the creation of a managed encampment pilot site, including identifying potential locations, estimating costs and exploring how it might operate.

That report, set to be discussed at the executive policy committee on April 21, recommends against going ahead with the plan.

“Given the time constraints to operationalize a managed encampment site before spring, the significant operational costs, the current work of the province which limits its ability to support this pilot, and the need to engage community … the public service is not recommending that the pilot move forward at this time,”  City of Winnipeg community development manager Chris Brens wrote in the report.

Brens says more work would be needed before any such site could be considered, including community consultation, legal review and more detailed costing. He also points to major challenges around timing, funding and support from other levels of government.

Several other Canadian cities — including Halifax, Hamilton and Kelowna — have managed encampments, typically offering low-barrier access, 24/7 staffing and on-site supports such as harm reduction, case management and connections to housing.

Some Winnipeg councillors and advocates have argued a designated site could help reduce the impact of encampments spread across the city, while making it easier to connect people with services.

The idea, they say, is not to normalize tent living, but to create a temporary, controlled environment that can serve as a pathway into housing.

The report says a managed encampment would require significant investment.

While the cost of basic services like garbage collection, washrooms and maintenance is estimated at about $55,850 for a five-month pilot, adding round-the-clock staffing would push up total costs to between $700,000 to nearly $1.4 million, depending on the size.

Possible encampment sizes in the report range from two small camps of 12-15 people each to a single large encampment with 50-60 people.

City staff also say the Manitoba government is currently focused on expanding housing and supports through its Your Way Home strategy and is not in a position to commit resources to a managed encampment pilot this spring or summer.

Without that support, the city would face significant limitations in moving the idea forward, the report says.