ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Unhoused people have a fundamental right to live in encampments, and that right is violated when authorities tear them down, Canada's housing advocate says.
"For people living in these encampments, every day is a matter of life and death … At the same time, encampments represent an effort by people who are unhoused to claim their human rights and meet their most basic needs," the document says. "Canada has the capacity to solve this crisis. What is lacking is sufficient political will, resources and coordination."
Unhoused people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have died in camps, some from overdoses and tent fires. There are safety risks in tent cities, Houle said, but dismantling them pushes people further into the margins, where they're more vulnerable. Nobody living in camps should be forced to use shelters or other options that don't meet their needs, Houle said."A lot of people experiencing homelessness have very bad trauma related to social services, related to institutions, related to people in uniform," she said.
Cities should provide encampments with electricity, bathrooms, clean water, heat and other basic amenities, the review said.