Dear City of Cambridge...
(CC: Region of Waterloo)

RE: ​Cambridge Encampment Evictions (Heatwave June 2025)

More of my thoughts and ramblings on this topic... Convieniently posted and published in no particular order! 

A human Rights based Approach for cambridge

There are a multitude of areas where the City of Cambridge could immediately make improvements to better align with a genuine Human Rights Approach in this situation.

​At present, the City's actions reflect direct non-compliance with several key principles that (IMHO) can be reasonably expected known, and I'd hope,  clearly understood by our local leaders as critical to pursuing such an approach.

​This includes, for example, the use of a flawed and punitive framework for engaging with these vulnerable residents, as well as proceeding with an unnecessary eviction in the absence of sufficient alternative shelter options.
These decisions not only undermine the dignity and safety of affected individuals, but also stand in direct contradiction to the obligations inherent in a rights-based response.

A National Protocol
​for Homeless Encampments in Canada

A few quotes from this document
Key Principle 1: Recognize residents of homeless encampments as rights holders
Page 15, Section 38:
  • "All government action with respect to homeless encampments must be guided by a commitment to upholding the human rights and human dignity of their residents. For many governments and those exercising governmental authority, this will mean a shift away from criminalizing, penalizing, or obstructing encampments, to an approach rooted in rights-based participation and accountability."

Key Principle: 3: Prohibition of forced evictions of encampments
Page 20 Section 45: 
  • "Under international human rights law, forced evictions constitute a gross violation of human rights and are prohibited in all circumstances, including in the context of encampments."​

Key Principle 4: Explore all viable alternatives to eviction
Page 20/21, Section 50:
  • "Government authorities must explore all viable alternatives to eviction, in consultation with encampment residents. This means ensuring their meaningful and effective participation in discussions regarding the future of the encampment."

Key Principle 5: Ensure that any relocation is human rights compliant
pages 22-23 (section 59): 
  • "If, in the exceptional case there is no viable alternative to eviction by authorities, eviction must be compliant with all aspects of international human rights law."
  • "Relocation must not result in the continuation or deepening of homelessness for residents."
I​t is entirely reasonable—and even necessary—to expect that the City of Cambridge adhere to a Human Rights Approach in its policies and actions, particularly when responding to homelessness and housing insecurity. This expectation is not arbitrary; it is grounded in a framework already endorsed by our local housing service managers (The Region of Waterloo), reflected in Canada's ratification of multiple United Nations human rights treaties, and supported by so many expert recommendations and academic research publications.
"It also undermines the National Housing Strategy Act, which affirms that housing is a human right in Canada. Further, it contradicts the Region’s own Plan to End Chronic Homelessness (PECH). ."
Surveillance, Fences, and $5000 Fines - Citified - Melissa Bowman - Guest post by Jacara Droog

​At the centre of this,
we must rely on a
​human rights approach. 

While we can always do better than these minimum standards, we should never do worse than these basic requirements.
Source  CAEH Trip and Presentation 2024
Upholding human rights is not only a legal and ethical obligation—it is also in the best interest of our community. A rights-based approach promotes dignity, equity, and long-term well-being for all residents, and it offers a more sustainable set of outcomes than reactive or punitive measures.

Guide to Meaningful Engagement
​and Integrating a Human Rights-Based Approach into Encampment Responses

"In February 2024, the Federal Housing Advocate released her report, Upholding Dignity and Human Rights, presenting her findings and recommendations following a systemic review of homeless encampments across Canada. The report highlighted that governments have human rights obligations to people living in encampments and called for a human rights-based approach."

The Question of Adequate alternatives

What does this objectively mean for all of us in Waterloo Region?
Adequacy, as a core principle of the right to housing, refers to more than just having a roof over one’s head. In our local context—where there is a severe lack of appropriate alternative shelter options and an escalating housing crisis—the question of adequacy becomes especially urgent.

When individuals are being displaced without viable alternatives that meet even the most basic standards of adequacy, we are failing to uphold this fundamental human right. This failure affects not only those directly impacted but the overall health, safety, and cohesion of our entire community.
"We cannot continue to claim we are pursuing a human rights-based approach if, at critical moments like these, we refuse to take responsibility for meaningful change and fail to act in accordance with the very principles we proclaim ourselves wishing to uphold."
Source "Some Initial Thoughts - RE: 100 Victoria - Site Specific Bylaw" 

These are not simply "issues" to be managed

Any response to encampments must begin with a recognition of the personal agency and inherent rights of the individuals residing in these locations. These are not simply "issues" to be managed—they are people whose choices, voices, and lived experiences must be respected and meaningfully included in any decision-making process.

The City of Cambridge, like all municipalities, should be evaluating its actions against established human rights-based metrics and municipal guidance that are already available. Resources such as the Decampment Report Card by Pivot Legal Society and the Homeless Encampments: Municipal Engagement Guidance developed by the National Working Group on Homeless Encampments, offer clear criteria for aligning local responses with a Human Rights Approach. Failing to uphold these principles not only contravenes best practices but also deepens harm, adds to stigma and reinforces systemic exclusion.

Additional REsources:

More pages from "Around here":

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