Legal precedents hold that criminalizing someone for their status, such as being homeless, is cruel and unusual punishment. But what if that status leads to actions like sleeping in public spaces?
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Articles on Homeless encampments
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Encampment sweeps in Edmonton are a brutal attack on both human and treaty rights, as well as a continuation of the violent removal of Indigenous Peoples from their land.
If passed, B.C.’s Bill 45 will trample over the constitutional rights of unhoused people by ignoring shelter barriers, Indigenous rights and the need for daytime shelter
People struggling with homelessness often have limited control over their belongings and face the constant risk of being separated from their possessions.
Cities are clearing homeless encampments, sometimes violently, without providing those who live there any alternatives. Long-term solutions are needed to help people off the streets.
The redefining of ‘the public’ is a helpful step toward listening to those who have experienced homelessness.
As we push for a real solution — an increase in housing supply and related supports — the encampment evictions must stop. We need to make encampments unnecessary.
It’s possible to prevent homelessness, but it will take a commitment and dedication to understanding the conditions that produce it.
Without sufficient safe shelter space and universal testing, cities are forcing homeless people into encampments, limiting their ability to stay safe and violating international human rights laws.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor, Law, York University, Canada
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PhD Candidate, Faculty of Education, York University, Canada
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Postdoctoral Fellow, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto
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Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
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Professor of Human Geography, Simon Fraser University
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Professor of the Practice of Law, University of Southern California
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Associate Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
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Professor and Canada Research Chair in Law, Society & Sustainability, University of British Columbia
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J.D. (Juris Doctor) student at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Canada
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Associate Professor of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Athabasca University
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Professor Emeritus, and Director of Housing Research Collaborative, University of British Columbia
