City of Edmonton defends response to homeless encampments

News release from the City of Edmonton

Overview of the City of Edmonton’s information in Court about its response to homeless encampments

The City of Edmonton’s response to encampments prioritizes the well-being of unhoused and vulnerable persons, while acknowledging the impacts that encampments can have on the entire community. The City’s approach seeks to acknowledge all relevant perspectives: the lived experiences of the unhoused, the needs and expertise of social agencies, available information from law enforcement, the specialized expertise of our Fire Rescue Service, and the voices of those communities impacted by encampments. The City’s response to encampments accepts that outdoor sheltering is not a safe or sustainable solution for managing homelessness.

At court on January 10 and 11, the City of Edmonton will be responding to the case brought by the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights. In responding to this legal challenge, the City does not seek to minimize the lived experiences and significant challenges faced by our unhoused residents. However, the City of Edmonton seeks to ensure that the court has access and understanding of the full picture and perspective of humans and organizations impacted by homelessness.

A compassionate and effective response to homelessness requires a combination of long term solutions and transitional accommodations. Our experience has shown that, at times, immediate intervention is required.

The City has filed evidence with the Court, and will be presenting the Court with the following facts:

While numbers of shelter beds and unhoused persons vary from day to day, Edmonton’s shelters have had excess capacity throughout 2023, with even more capacity available in 2024. In periods of extreme demand, capacity can be scaled upwards immediately. A person seeking indoor shelter in Edmonton will never be left without an indoor place to shelter.

Edmonton’s shelter system supports and accommodates persons with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, including persons who use drugs, all genders and sexualities, all religions, couples, and persons with disabilities. Edmonton has Indigenous-led shelter spaces, women-only spaces, and specialized shelter programming for Indigenous persons who have experienced trauma.

Outdoor sheltering poses severe dangers to the unhoused. Evidence will be presented of examples of gang victimization, armed robbery, physical and sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sanitation issues leading to disease, frostbite and cold-weather injuries, and fatalities caused by tent and encampment fires. These risks will be shown to be attributable to outdoor sheltering, not the removal of encampments.

In the last five years, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has reported at least seven deaths and 26 injuries from 276 fires that could be attributed to tents or encampments. This number is likely a significant underestimate due to the challenges inherent in investigating these types of fires.

Expert medical evidence from Alberta’s former Chief Medical Officer of Health will be presented showing that encampments increase potential communicable disease transmission and fire- and violence-related injuries when compared with emergency shelters.

Encampments can pose a danger to the community at large. Evidence will be presented of violence arising from encampments, accumulations of human feces, biohazardous waste, weapons and drug paraphernalia surrounding encampments, uncontrolled fires and propane cylinder explosions, and examples of wildfires starting at encampments in Edmonton’s natural areas.

The number of complaints from members of the public has significantly risen over the last number of years. Between January 1, 2023 and October 22, 2023, there were 13,683 complaints from concerned Edmontonians.

Encampment closures are evaluated on a risk matrix. This is an attempt to respond to community concerns, ongoing damage to the environment and infrastructure, as well as the inherent dangers in outdoor encampments. When camps are first assessed and again when closed, offers are made to take individuals to a shelter. As well, during the encampment closure process, opportunities are provided for individuals to connect with various community organizations supporting the unhoused.

Evidence will be presented on the impacts associated with Camp Pekiwewin (2020). The City has been provided evidence of physical and sexual violence, gang violence, sex trafficking, sanitation and biological health hazards for occupants of Camp Pekiwiwin. Evidence provided by residents of the Rossdale community shares examples of violence and physical assault, theft of property, residents leaving the community for their own safety, vandalism, fire, and significant River Valley damage due to firewood cutting by encampment occupants.

The City is sharing this information from its filed legal documents as a public service. As the matter is before the Courts, no additional public commentary will be made.

Related Topics:#CityOfEdmonton #HomelessEncampmentsEdmonton feature

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City of Edmonton defends response to homeless encampments

Alberta

Province forms Edmonton Public Safety Cabinet Committee in response to homeless encampment crisis

Published on January 12, 2024

Government of Alberta

Edmonton encampments: Deputy Premier Ellis

Deputy Premier Mike Ellis issued the below statement in response to Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi’s announcement of his intention to declare an emergency:

“In November, Premier Danielle Smith ordered that an emergency cabinet committee be created and convened in response to the issue of crime and gang-related activity within encampments across the City of Edmonton.

“Alberta’s government cares deeply about vulnerable Edmontonians and we will always ensure that anyone who wants shelter and supportive services will receive it. However, we will not stand by and watch as vulnerable Albertans and the general public continue to be extorted, taken advantage of and killed by gangsters and deadly drugs.

“The Edmonton Public Safety Cabinet Committee (EPSCC) is comprised of ministers from departments that oversee operations and/or administer programs that promote public safety and support the transition of Edmonton-based encampment residents into safe, secure and appropriate arrangements.

“The cabinet committee membership includes:

Danielle Smith, Premier (chair)
Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice
Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services
Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health
Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs
Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services
Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services
Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations

“Also sworn into the committee are:

Cody Thomas, Grand Chief, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations
Dale McPhee, Chief, Edmonton Police Service

“This committee has met continuously since its initial meeting on Nov. 29, 2023, to plan a joint response. Our government is working on an action plan alongside Alberta Health Services, Edmonton Police Service, the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and several departments from the City of Edmonton, including Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.

“Our government will continue to respond to these issues following the expected court decision on Jan. 16, no matter the outcome. We will have a more detailed statement regarding this response once the court decision is made.”

Additional quotes

“It is dangerous for the mayor and others to continue to suggest that vulnerable Albertans do not have anywhere to turn. This is false and will lead to more folks choosing not to seek out shelter because they fear they’ll be turned away. I have said before and will continue to say: there is safe space in shelters around the city and nobody will be turned away. We have more than enough room for every homeless person in the city of Edmonton to have a warm, safe place to stay. It is completely inappropriate and dangerous for the mayor, or anyone, to suggest Edmonton is out of capacity in our social services sector or our emergency shelter systems. Anyone needing shelter space will be kept care of.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

“I have been working and will continue to work diligently alongside the provincial government, in the spirit of reconciliation, for months on the serious action that is needed to get all people off the streets, including First Nations people. Encampments are not a safe place and letting people overdose and freeze in the cold is not reconciliation.”

Cody Thomas, Grand Chief, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations

Alberta

City of Edmonton shuts down eighth homeless encampment after insuring space for occupants in warm shelters

Published on January 10, 2024

Todayville Edmonton

New release from the City of Edmonton

Closure of eighth high-risk encampment proceeds; court deliberations about future response activity continue

Additional requirements will continue to apply to the City’s response to eight high-risk homeless encampments while the Court considers questions of rights and public safety.

Court Hearing

Today, Justice Martin extended the conditions of the interim interim injunction to Tuesday, January 16. In addition to the City’s existing protocols, the Order requires the City to include the following considerations as part of its assessment and decision making process for eight high-risk encampment closures:

Before clearing the encampments, City and/or the Edmonton Police Service will make sure there is sufficient shelter space or other indoor space;
If there is not enough space, officers will close only if a danger to public health and safety;
City will consider the cold weather in decision making;
City will advise agencies at earliest convenience about closure;
Order does not impact ongoing wellness checks by City staff or fire services;
48 hour notice will be given again to residents; and
Notice to include reason, date

Deliberations at today’s court hearing involved reviewing legal matters about representation and standing in the courts and whether particular evidence should be allowed.

Court deliberations continue on January 11 and January 16.

High-risk encampment closure at 95th Street and 101A Avenue

The scheduled closure and cleaning of a high-risk encampment in the vicinity of 95th Street and 101A Avenue resumed today. This is the last of eight sites subject to the conditions of the interim Order and the closure was in full compliance with the City’s obligations, including providing advance notice to social agencies.

An encampment may be assessed as high risk where there is a serious risk of injury or death due to fire, carbon monoxide poisoning, drug use, gang violence, physical violence including weapons, public health and/or sanitation risks, environmental degradation and/or criminal activity. It is also assessed based on its proximity to local amenities including schools and playgrounds, the number of people and structures in the encampment, if the location has previously been an encampment site and how long it has been in place.

This encampment meets several of these criteria and was the site of a serious sexual assault on December 16, 2023.

The extremely cold weather increases the already high risk of injury and death due to fire. In 2023, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to 135 fires in encampments resulting in 22 injuries and three fatalities. In the last week two fires have led to injuries and one propane tank has exploded at encampment sites.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services reminds Edmontonians that open flames or heating elements situated too close to combustibles can start fires. With regard to propane tanks:

Propane cylinders should not be exposed to open flames.
Leaking cylinders can easily ignite and heated cylinders can explode.

Encampment Closure Facts – as of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday

Prior to today’s closure and cleanup, the City received confirmation from the Government of Alberta that there is sufficient shelter capacity for any individuals leaving the site who wish to access shelters. With the activation of the City’s extreme weather response this week, 50 shelter spaces at the Al Rashid Mosque were added. Additionally, 49 spaces opened at NiGiNan’s Pimatisiwin site (former Sands Hotel) and Enoch opened 10 additional spaces at the former Coliseum Inn site.

City crews will continue to clean the site as the day progresses. As a result, some of the information provided below is subject to change:

Encampment location – in the vicinity of 95th Street and 101A Avenue
Number of structures – 7
Number of occupants -5
Instances of medical aid provided -0
Arrests – 3 people were arrested and charges are pending by EPS
Tickets Issued – 0
Warrants executed – 0
Cleaning data
Truckloads/ kg waste removed – 21 truckloads (roughly 2,000 kg)
Needles – tbd
Shopping Carts – 7
Propane tanks – 31
The REACH 24/7 Crisis Diversion Teams were on site to provide transport and support as needed.
Today, as with other days, we considered the weather conditions in our decision. The increased risk of frostbite, hypothermia and injury from fire were important factors in the decision to proceed with action.
The extreme weather protocol activates enhanced supports for vulnerable Edmontonians including additional 50 shelter spaces at the Al Rashid Mosque.
Even with available shelter space, some Edmontonians experiencing homelessness may sometimes choose not to go to shelters.

Future Closures

Today’s closure is the last of the eight high-risk sites subject to the Order. The City continues to receive encampment complaints, and will continue to assess the risk of encampment sites as they are identified.

This is all the information the City is able to provide at this time.