Advocates call on region not to evict those at Victoria Street encampment

Fight Back KW issued a call to the Region of Waterloo asking the government not to evict the residents at the 100 Victoria St. N. encampment.

The ask from the group came this week after regional staff said in a report to the Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Development Committee that construction of the Kitchener Central Transit Hub is set for 2025. For that to happen, the encampment at 100 Victoria St. would need to be cleared away.

Fight Back KW said the region must follow the 2023 Valente ruling, which ruled that the removal of encampments by the region would be a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“Any attempt to do so will be met with strong resistance from the Waterloo Region Community as this is a matter of life and death for our neighbours,” said the statement. “The Region might not care about its citizens’ human right to survive, but we do.”

Acer Bonaparte, with Fight Back KW, said if members of the encampment were forced to leave they would have nowhere else to go.

“Nobody wants people to be living at 100 Victoria or to live in an encampment,” said Bonaparte. “But a space like an encampment is truly important because without it, homeless people are scattered across the region and so much more prone to victimization.”

The group suggest that instead, the region should create 10,000 subsidized housing units to “clear the current housing wait list” or 2,300 shelter spaces.

The Ford government has announced that they will be giving municipalities new powers to clear out encampments. Premier Ford has noted he would not rule out using the Notwithstanding Clause, overriding any court decision on the new legislation. Bonaparte called the new legislation “an overstep of government.”

“Mainly, we’re concerned, angered and not going to take any forced removal lightly or sitting down,” said Bonaparte.

In a statement to 570 NewsRadio, the region says ” Region staff and outreach partners continue to work with the residents at 100 Victoria to provide connections to supports. Our priority is the health and safety of those at the site. The Region is focused on supporting those experiencing homelessness throughout Waterloo Region and increasing access to housing for all.”