When it comes to homelessness, it seems the reasons that we (the housed) can come up with for clearing tent encampments are practically endless. Some examples:
- the campers are not from here
- they attract the criminal element
- the encampments are drug marts
- the campers don’t want help
And yet, if we ask ‘them’ — the people who are living in the tents — we might be surprised at the answers. No, it’s not just one big drug-fuelled party of law-breaking crazies. Try: Does ‘Animal House’ Anarchy Feature As Tent Encampment Style? Some say.
For example, a man living in a tent in a legal encampment in Halifax, Nova Scotia is in search of hay to make the tent warmer as winter comes on. Note that this encampment is legal and in itself a significant departure from the necessity of tent clearances, which seems to be the dominant narrative in media stories.
Officials in Halifax might not have had Canada’s commitment to the human right to adequate housing in mind when they chose the legal encampment route, but it is consistent with that direction. This is something very positive to build on.
Communities considering legal encampments don’t have to start from scratch. Two documents issued at the beginning of the pandemic provide helpful guidance. They are still useful. One from a health perspective comes from Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: Resources To Support People Experiencing Homelessness. The second, which provides human rights guidance, is available from The Shift: A National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada
