The Group has completed a string of interviews to unpack current barriers and solutions to lived expertise work, such as trauma and diversity, accountability to the process by both municipal partners and lived experts, and the persisting tokenism. The Working Group members are proud and enthusiastic about co-creating the approach being used and have identified even more opportunities to keep improving the process and the collaboration with municipal staff and councils.

The Group also met with researchers from Ontario and BC to learn more about what rights unsheltered people have regarding their belongings, as part of the Group’s review of the City of Kitchener Bylaw's approach to encampments. 

Going forward, the Group is preparing to launch research in collaboration with Wilfred Laurier University (WLU) student researchers. By holding focus groups with precariously housed residents and municipal staff, the Group will be able to contrast and compare perceptions of displacement between municipal employees and impacted communities, and continue breaking barriers to joint action.

Also, the Group is working on an orientation session with the City of Kitchener staff in March, so the Group can better understand their different roles and responsibilities, while sharing about their work more directly. Another Lived Expertise orientation is planned for April to update Kitchener City Council about the results achieved so far, and how the Council can support and be involved in this work transformational work.