Housing advocates say City of Vancouver should have notified them about tent removal plans

Housing advocates say the City of Vancouver should have notified them about their plans to remove tent encampments in the Downtown Eastside earlier this month. 

Shane Simpson, former B.C. Minister of Poverty Reduction, says many community organizations and agencies were "scrambling" to help people in wake of the removals. 

"[The removal] was successful … but the fallout of what happens after that has not been good," said Simpson. 

"You have all these agencies that deliver supports … they had no idea this was happening ... and they're scrambling still."

On April 5, city officials and the Vancouver Police Department cleared a tent encampment on the Downtown Eastside along East Hastings Street, citing public safety and fire-related concerns.

B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said at the time his understanding from the city is that 36 people were removed on the first day of the removal.

Simpson and other advocates say the city needs to communicate directly with local organizations so they can prepare supports for the people affected. 

"There are just some outstanding activists who are working incredibly hard in a really difficult situation," Simpson said.

"[The City has] to make a distinction between a law-and-order approach and a public safety approach."

Collaboration is essential: former minister

Simpson, who served as minister from 2017 to 2020, has a long history with the Downtown Eastside.

"I grew up as a young child right on the corner of Campbell and Hastings ... It was poor, alcohol was an issue, heroin was an issue, but it was stable very much so," said Simpson, adding many years later, the neighbourhood has changed and "lost its way." 

In May 2020, Simpson says his team worked with non-profit and housing organizations in the Downtown Eastside on the removal of the tent encampment at Oppenheimer Park. 

The removal was a response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, with the city, province and police working together to relocate nearly 300 people from the encampment to hotels and shelters.

Simpson says these collaborative efforts are essential, noting his team identified over 600 housing spaces before the removal. 

"When things go on, people come together in the neighborhood and … find a solution," he said. "That opportunity has to be created there."

Christine Wilson, director of advocacy for Indigenous women at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, says they've seen an influx of women accessing their shelters and resource centres after the removal of tents from East Hastings Street.

"We are working with a marginalized population. Women who are on disability … living in SROs who are absolutely homeless … women that are Indigenous," she said, adding the encampment removals often leave women vulnerable to violence.

She says the city and province need to address mental health issues head-on by creating more treatment facilities like the Red Fish Healing Centre in Coquitlam, which helps people experiencing mental health and addiction issues through a trauma-informed approach, with access to Indigenous healing spaces.

"If we could emulate that [support], that would be amazing because that takes away the barriers most face when they do want to seek treatment." 

'Catch a breath'

Matthew Trudeau, public information officer for the Vancouver Fire Department, says they've removed nearly 149 propane tanks from the tent encampment on East Hastings Street, which he says has significantly improved fire safety in the neighbourhood.

He adds that 80 tents and structures have been reduced to nearly 20 to 30 tents over the last two weeks.

He also says the main priority is to help people access shelter spaces, and that the fire department, city and social service providers have been meeting almost daily to co-ordinate support access, although he did not specify what type of supports were being offered.

"We are trying to keep an eye on where people are going ... and for sure keeping up on trying to get people into shelters," he said.

In a statement, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the province, through B.C. Housing, is developing a co-ordinated plan with community and government partners to support people experiencing homelessness in the Downtown Eastside. 

"We're working as quickly as possible with all of our partners to bring people living outside in the Downtown Eastside inside, but these are challenges that have grown over many years," he said.