The operator of a 24-hour homeless shelter is pleading for common understanding in the wake of a backlash by residents who have expressed a litany of grievances, such as the presence of discarded hypodermic needles and litter near the site in Liberty Village.

A public meeting organized in Parkdale last week by Toronto Police Service’s 14 Division to discuss its neighbourhood officers program was “commandeered” by irate Liberty Village residents, say meeting attendees, who preferred to focus their concerns around the so-called respite centre.

Since the centre opened last November as a temporary site — an emergency response by the city to a shortage of permanent shelter beds — it has inflamed tensions among some residents, who’ve called for more police presence to address what they see as sudden lawlessness befouling their neighbourhood.

Those criticisms appeared to reach a fever-pitch in July in several heated Facebook message threads on the Liberty Village Residents Association discussion group — which has more than 11,700 members. Comments in recent discussions expressed frustrations and fears about the respite centre and its clients. An equally significant number of comments indicated support.

Brian Harris, executive director of St. Felix Centre, which operates the respite site, says he understands residents’ frustrations and wants to work with them and community stakeholders on solutions. He tells toronto.com the centre is a symptom of “chronic homelessness” impacting virtually every neighbourhood in the city as social services funding erodes and housing becomes increasingly unaffordable.

Harris also fears a one-sided view of the controversy, fuelled by recent news coverage, focuses mostly on the residents’ concerns and obscures the work being done by community partners on addressing issues.

“We’re concerned the current narrative, fuelled by media reports, has given credence to the grievances of a minority of people,” said Harris on Monday. “A quick fix is not the reality, and we encourage people to use their frustrations in a positive way.”

Starting this past spring, the facility launched a Community Safety Team to clean up “harm reduction remnants” like discarded needles from the respite centre site at 63 Fraser Ave. within a section of parking lot belonging to Lamport Stadium. That’s in addition to regular cleanups by shelter and city staff around the site. Toronto police have also agreed to deploy more neighbourhood officers, familiar with the area and its challenges, around the site as a result of the residents’ complaints.

Shelter staff liaise with local businesses and community groups to identify issues, where the city could provide some support in addressing concerns. There is also a protocol and signage in place for reporting concerns, said Harris.

St. Felix also performs outreach work with Liberty Village employers on educating their workforce on public interactions with respite centre residents, particularly for de-escalating potential encounters.

While most residents he’s interacted with understand the need for the shelter, even those expressing concerns about it, Harris wants residents to know there are only so many things shelter staff or law enforcement can do.

“Some people don’t understand the limitations of law,” he said. “Police just can’t arrest someone just because they’re homeless.”

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Last week, toronto.com reached out via Facebook to several vocal commenters to elaborate on their concerns about the respite centre.

None replied except Richard Dunwoody, a community organizer, who has attempted to engage online with aggrieved residents.

Dunwoody, a semi-retired businessman, first became interested in the respite centre after attending a public meeting for the placement of another emergency site, this one at Fleet St. in the Fort York neighbourhood.

Of the 80 participants that evening, Dunwoody recalls not a single person at the meeting expressing support for having a shelter in their community.

“They blamed the local councillor (Joe Cressy), a lack of public consults,” Dunwoody recalled. “They warned a shelter would bring drugs and theft, and the police wouldn’t do anything.”

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Inspired to counter the chorus of voices vehemently opposed to the planned respite centre, Dunwoody decided to found a community initiative in support of the homeless, turning to social media to find converts. He began the group holding weekly meetings at his condo.

The result is Project Comfort, which meets and plans outreach efforts, such as weekly volunteering at local respite centres. The group recently held a community barbecue at the Liberty Village site for the residents.

“There are some legitimate concerns, but if we work together we can find a solution and address the needs of a vulnerable sector of our community,” said Dunwoody.

“You don’t solve a problem by attacking it. You take a step back and take a practical look of possible solutions. Acting in a reactionary way toward these problems seldom works.”