Chaos engulfs Hamilton block after violent squatters move in next door

Nada Arsenault has lived on a nice, quiet street in Hamilton, Ont., for many years. It is nestled in a quiet neighbourhood in which nothing notorious ever happened.

But some 11 months ago, the house two doors down from Nada was overrun by homeless people.

Some of these squatters are clearly drug addicts, others are allegedly ***s. Regardless, silence seldom takes place here these days. There are fights (sometimes involving people brandishing axes, baseball bats, and rocks.) And there is a never-ending litany of cars dropping by at all hours. Sometimes these “visitors” are there to conduct drug deals; sometimes it’s about engaging in the *** trade. And more often than not, in the wee hours of the morning, loud noises awaken residents trying to get some sleep. Sometimes it’s blaring music, other times it is the sound of power tools being run for no apparent reason.

In the meantime, many of the inhabitants of this house are hoarders. Garbage has piled up. It stinks – and the mess has attracted all sorts of vermin, including rats.

Nada says she has counted as many as 20 people residing at this home. Some live inside, some live under tarps in the backyard, some reside in the camper van parked in the driveway. Regardless, her quality of life has been obliterated.

Incredibly, Nada says this encampment has been allowed to exist via the consent of the homeowner. Nada alleges the homeowner himself also suffers from substance abuse.

Regardless, life on this street for many residents has become a hellacious affair.

While Nada says Hamilton Police constantly visit this property, nothing seems to change.

Bylaw officers also frequently visit this house that has devolved into a filthy encampment. But again, there are no signs indicating that this pigsty will be shut down anytime soon. Apparently, the matter is still “under investigation.” Did we mention this situation dates back to September 2025?

In the meantime, the racket continues as the stench of rotting garbage wafts in the breeze.

And a question arises: who does one have more contempt for: the squatters – or those in power who allow them to remain?

As well, we did reach out to the Hamilton Police Service and the City of Hamilton.

A police spokesman stated the following:

“To start, it is a little presumptive to state that Police are ‘ignoring’ this situation – or any situation for that matter.

“In terms of investigation lengths — investigations that are full, frank, and fair often take time to gather evidence, witness statements, CCTV, and a multitude of other factors to produce a complete result.

“Lastly, we will not be in a position to discuss bylaw issues – those are reserved for the City of Hamilton, I respectfully suggest that you reach out to them.”

We appreciate the response from the police, but we ponder why an investigation into this house has taken almost a year?

As for the City of Hamilton, we never did receive a response nor even an acknowledgement of our email. We guess the city has better things to do… like har***ing taxpayers for having pollinator gardens that are out of compliance.