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Encampment Advocacy

Community updates, contact information and more:

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Keeping Six and HAMSMaRT organizations partnered with the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic and with Wade Poziomka, a human rights lawyer at Ross & McBride, and called on the city to stop dismantling encampments unless it was able to provide encampment residents with access to safe indoor spaces and interim to permanent housing with the appropriate supports.

Community updates:

August 23, 2020

During a City of Hamilton council meeting, 9 councillors voted (3 opposed) to challenge the current injunction prohibiting the City from involuntarily removing residents of encampments. We are headed to court in early September. Our goal remains the same: calling for a human rights based approach to encampments in Hamilton.

August 7, 2020

The injunction was extended, on consent, until early-September! We will continue to push for a human rights based approach to encampments & encampment residents in the City! This means that the City (and its agents, such as the police) cannot remove people from encampments in Hamilton until we return to Court.  We will return to Court in early September to request a further extension of the injunction until the Court hears our application about the City’s authority to remove people from encampments.

August 6, 2020

We are back in court tomorrow to argue for the extension fo the injunction barring the city from dismantling encampments. Please continue to contact your city councillors and ask that:

  1. The City not dismantle homeless encampments
  2. The City provide interim and permanent housing for encampment residents with necessary supports
  3. The City prioritize individuals experiencing homelessness for urgent housing placement
  4. The City engage encampment residents in assessing their needs prior to dismantling
  5. The City remove barriers in shelters and hotels in order to accommodate the individual needs of encampment residents
  6. The City allow for sanctioned encampment sites and/or designate specific parks/public lands where individuals are allowed to set up tents/temporary structures
  7. The City allow for a streamlined, low-barrier, accessible process of issuing permits allowing for tents and temporary structures

Dismantling homeless encampments will cause harm to encampment residents and this harm is heightened by the current pandemic. We need you to call on your local city councillor to take a holistic and reasoned approach to encampments.

July 30, 2020

We are happy to report a big win for encampment residents! This morning, we were granted a 10 day injunction stopping dismantlement scheduled for tomorrow. This work would not be possible without Keeping Six, HAMSMart, Wade Poziomka and the team at Ross & McBride.

Contact Information:

Keeping Six                           

info@keepinsix.org

HAMSMart

info@hamsmart.ca

Sharon Crowe

Staff Lawyer

Hamilton Community Legal Clinic

crowes@lao.on.ca

Nadine Watson

Staff Lawyer

Hamilton Community Legal Clinic

menezen@lao.on.ca

Gopal Banerjee

Social Worker

Hamilton Community Legal Clinic

banerjg@lao.on.ca

Wade Poziomka

Partner

Ross & McBride

wpoziomka@rossmcbride.com