The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights (CJHR) has filed a lawsuit against the City of Edmonton on Monday for evicting homeless people from their makeshift homes..On Monday, the CJHR initiated legal action against the City of Edmonton in response to the harm arising from the ongoing eviction and displacement of individuals residing in encampments.."Despite being aware of the inadequate number of safe and accessible shelter spaces available to a rapidly increasing unhoused population, the City of Edmonton continues to displace and destroy encampments with nowhere for people to go," CJHR said.."These actions have resulted in vulnerable people repeatedly being placed in dangerous situations without the most basic of personal belongings or survival necessities, violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and undermining their fundamental human rights.".CJHR said it needs to protect the rights of unhoused Edmontonians..According to the statement of claim, since 2021, the number of people who are unhoused in Edmonton increased a dramatic 71%, from 1,820 to 3,112..The court document said safe, accessible shelter space in Edmonton, which was already insufficient prior to the increase, has become even more scarce..The statement of claim said some people who stay in encampments prefer to stay together in groups, which can provide benefits including increased safety in numbers, increased visibility to service providers, shared resources, a sense of belonging, informal governance and dispute resolution practices and other benefits of living in the community..It also noted, that despite knowing there is inadequate housing and shelter space to meet all Edmontonians’ needs, the City of Edmonton regularly displaces encampments..When unsheltered people are displaced, they usually have no reasonable alternative accommodation, so they move their encampment to another location, usually another location in Boyle-McCauley or in the River Valley. It often does not take long before the City of Edmonton displaces them again.."Due to the City's policy of displacing encampments, unhoused individuals have endured severe hardships," said Chris Wiebe, a lawyer from the Engel Law Office who acts as co-counsel for CJHR.."These include the loss of essential personal belongings like tents, propane tanks and propane-powered stoves, ID, and bikes; disruptions in crucial relationships and support systems that enable unhoused people to protect and care for themselves and each other; and an elevated risk of injury, and even death from exposure to extreme weather.".In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, the city confirmed it received notice of the legal action and that it is preparing to discuss and defend its approaches in court..The city has until Sept. 18 to file its statement of defence..READ MORE: WATCH: City dismantles 'high risk' homeless camp in Edmonton's Chinatown.The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) assisted with the closure of homeless encampments in downtown Edmonton which took over Mary Burlie Park in Chinatown..Tattered tarps, dilapidated tents and trash blew aimlessly in the wind as vulnerable people grabbed what they could before their belongings went into the garbage..Not all items appeared to be lost as people in the area affected worked quickly to hoard their items into whatever they could before leaving the area..Items used to carry belongings consisted of shopping carts, pallet jacks, strollers and wagons. Others used pretty much anything that could roll and carry heavy items such as generators.."Encampments are a symptom of Edmonton’s shortage of safe, adequate and affordable housing and shelter capacity challenges," City of Edmonton Communications Advisor Noor Al-Henedy told the Western Standard in an exclusive statement.
The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights (CJHR) has filed a lawsuit against the City of Edmonton on Monday for evicting homeless people from their makeshift homes..On Monday, the CJHR initiated legal action against the City of Edmonton in response to the harm arising from the ongoing eviction and displacement of individuals residing in encampments.."Despite being aware of the inadequate number of safe and accessible shelter spaces available to a rapidly increasing unhoused population, the City of Edmonton continues to displace and destroy encampments with nowhere for people to go," CJHR said.."These actions have resulted in vulnerable people repeatedly being placed in dangerous situations without the most basic of personal belongings or survival necessities, violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and undermining their fundamental human rights.".CJHR said it needs to protect the rights of unhoused Edmontonians..According to the statement of claim, since 2021, the number of people who are unhoused in Edmonton increased a dramatic 71%, from 1,820 to 3,112..The court document said safe, accessible shelter space in Edmonton, which was already insufficient prior to the increase, has become even more scarce..The statement of claim said some people who stay in encampments prefer to stay together in groups, which can provide benefits including increased safety in numbers, increased visibility to service providers, shared resources, a sense of belonging, informal governance and dispute resolution practices and other benefits of living in the community..It also noted, that despite knowing there is inadequate housing and shelter space to meet all Edmontonians’ needs, the City of Edmonton regularly displaces encampments..When unsheltered people are displaced, they usually have no reasonable alternative accommodation, so they move their encampment to another location, usually another location in Boyle-McCauley or in the River Valley. It often does not take long before the City of Edmonton displaces them again.."Due to the City's policy of displacing encampments, unhoused individuals have endured severe hardships," said Chris Wiebe, a lawyer from the Engel Law Office who acts as co-counsel for CJHR.."These include the loss of essential personal belongings like tents, propane tanks and propane-powered stoves, ID, and bikes; disruptions in crucial relationships and support systems that enable unhoused people to protect and care for themselves and each other; and an elevated risk of injury, and even death from exposure to extreme weather.".In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, the city confirmed it received notice of the legal action and that it is preparing to discuss and defend its approaches in court..The city has until Sept. 18 to file its statement of defence..READ MORE: WATCH: City dismantles 'high risk' homeless camp in Edmonton's Chinatown.The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) assisted with the closure of homeless encampments in downtown Edmonton which took over Mary Burlie Park in Chinatown..Tattered tarps, dilapidated tents and trash blew aimlessly in the wind as vulnerable people grabbed what they could before their belongings went into the garbage..Not all items appeared to be lost as people in the area affected worked quickly to hoard their items into whatever they could before leaving the area..Items used to carry belongings consisted of shopping carts, pallet jacks, strollers and wagons. Others used pretty much anything that could roll and carry heavy items such as generators.."Encampments are a symptom of Edmonton’s shortage of safe, adequate and affordable housing and shelter capacity challenges," City of Edmonton Communications Advisor Noor Al-Henedy told the Western Standard in an exclusive statement.
