Harm Reduction Support (HARES) YEG

This year, @ProPublica has been looking into the impacts of cities increasingly removing or “sweeping” encampments. We spoke with 135 people who had experienced sweeps. We also distributed notecards so people could write about it in their own words. 🧵

@kccindytran Unsheltered, in shelters & provisionally sheltered are not tidy boxes- people move daily/hourly between these 3 labels- bottom line is we fail >3000 people WITHOUT REAL HOUSING every day in wealthy #yeg

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While we work to honour #HumanRights of those camping, never forget core problem is gov't failure to provide #housing -this message beside tents reminds #homelessness @ECOHH_

The constant removals and arbitrary risk increments make setting up a camp that would be safer pointless. Regardless of its content or intention, the policy is: 'if you live in a tent, you can be removed.'

As a note for data nerds, how many parts of the river valley are greater than 200m from a residence or business? Where could an encampment even exist under that criteria?

The lack of servicing to encampments also makes criteria contradictory, unless we expect camp residents to haul garbage 200m through parkland. There are no public bathrooms that satisfy that criteria. So produce biohazards, or be too close to other residents.

Camps can be accelerated for removal for being larger than just 6 people, if they are in the same location as previous encampments, or if they have been present for not even a month in the same location.

Camps can be deemed high risk for being far from help, and also for being too close to help. Camps where occupants are unable to protect themselves from the elements... are accelerated for removal to make them even more vulnerable?

The Encampment Risk framework is also deeply flawed beyond the lack of temperature risk. #yegcc The accessibility or presence of naloxone being used as a justification to steal someone's shelter is perverse. It compounds, not reduces risk to the camp residents.🧵

Today is one of the coldest days in #yeg's history. EPS evicted people from their tents into this on Wednesday knowing that it was coming. Functionally the death penalty for camping outdoors.

We believe that the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Police Service are in breach of the interim injunction order granted on Dec. 18 of how and when 8 encampments are to be cleared. Today we brought this to the attention of the Court. 🧵#yeg #yegcc

the city is attempting to justify a policy that tears down the makeshift homes of unhoused people in -20 weather without providing them with an actual place to stay that isn't a mat on a ground with no privacy, no storage and no allowance for pets and couples

The City of Edmonton is modifying its approach to encampments and will now require available shelter space for people in encampments that are >20 structures. This change is a direct result of your solidarity and action – together we will continue to demand more. 🧵 #yeg #yegcc

Today we witnessed (& offered a little assistance) as 7th camp torn down, on a cold -15 morning. Media have shared many of these scenes in recent days- do not get hardened to them- see the pain they hold #homelessness #HumanRights @ECOHH_

BREAKING: EPS and city of Edmonton dash to complete encampment sweeps as temperatures drop to -24 with the windchill. The encampment at 95 street and 106 Ave is being cleared out today and the final one at 95 st and Rowland Road is supposed to be cleared tomorrow.

homeless people, like all other people, make logical choices based on available options. If the choice is your shitty poison restaurant or starve, stealing food starts making a lot of sense. If you don’t like their choice, provide better options!

“service-resistant” homeless people don’t exist, your services are just shitty and ppl rightfully don’t want them

With homeless evictions today down along 105 Ave and 96 St. to 97S St. questions remain the same. Where are they suppose to go? How will the homeless stay warm if you have taken & thrown out their belongings? Kinnaird Ravine slated for Jan 5th. #yegcc #HumanRights #Righttohousing