Policing and Evicting People from Encampments Will Not End Homelessness
Please Read the Full Article HERE
Research conservatively estimates that 35,000 Canadians experience homelessness on any given night, with an average of one person sleeping outdoors for every five individuals staying in a shelter.
As those numbers continue to increase during the pandemic, there is a corresponding increase in policing of encampments at the municipal level. In the past month alone, there has been media coverage around ticketing to clear RV camps in Vancouver and the use of police officers to enforce camp evictions in both Montréal and Toronto.
As an occupational therapist with front-line experience working on a community mental health team in Toronto, I have witnessed peoples’ daily battles with discrimination, surveillance and policing. And my experiences have taught me that compassion in Canada often depends on who you are or how you are perceived.