Dear City of Cambridge (Cc: Region of Waterloo):
A human rights approach to encampments
for Cambridge (2.0)
CAEH 2025 - Marie-Josée Houle and I at the National Conference in Montreal.
|
Centering human rights as the guiding approach to encampments is SUPER DUPER important. A rights-based framework prioritizes access to basic needs - things like fire safety, waste‑management, and reliable water access - while also ensuring dignity, safety, and protection of those there. It demands that residents be able to participate in discussions and decisions affecting their lives, It requires accountability and planning that focuses on humane actions and adequate, durable housing solutions.
Forcing displacement does none of this.
|
From This Report:This content has been "cut/pasted" from pages 18 - 20 of the above document.
What we heard in Cambridge
The Advocate visited Cambridge in the morning on September 22, 2025. She participated in a roundtable with advocates and local community organizations that provide services to people living in encampments and then met separately with some city councillors. The visit provided an opportunity to follow up the letter the Advocate sent to the Mayor and Cambridge city council on July 4, 2025, in response to eviction notices posted at an encampment in the city in late June. The visit also took place the day before the council was to debate a motion to study the issue of encampment evictions during extreme weather events. Encampments and displacement Encampments in Cambridge are often small and scattered, but people living in encampments face constant threats of displacement. Service providers reported some people were displaced multiple times in a single summer. Participants described Cambridge as a “service desert” compared to neighbouring Kitchener, with outreach teams struggling to help people meet their basic needs. Participants described forced moves during extreme weather as particularly cruel. Insights from Cambridge painted a picture of a community where homelessness is deepening amid active hostility from some municipal leaders, limited services, and systemic barriers to building supportive housing. Extreme weather motion and council politics A central issue during the visit was a motion before Cambridge city council to study the possibility of halting encampment evictions during extreme weather events. Councillors Scott Hamilton and Ross Earnshaw introduced the motion following the Advocate’s letter in July, citing human rights obligations and the risks posed by climate change. Despite strong delegations from concerned citizens, academics, and service providers, the motion to study the issue was defeated 6-3. The Advocate is also concerned about the characterization, repeated during the council meeting, that she was provided misinformation about encampment evictions that were proposed to take place during a heatwave. Prior to sending her letter to Cambridge council, the Advocate was informed that eviction notices had been posted at an encampment on June 20, and police and bylaw showed up to enforce the evictions on June 24. She learned subsequently that eviction notices were posted again on July 16, and bylaw and police showed up on the same. This sequence of events has not been contradicted by the City of Cambridge. The fact that the evictions may not have taken place does not fundamentally alter the nature of the Advocate’s concerns. During the council meeting, the City mentioned that it had an informal policy in place to not evict during extreme weather. However, this does not explain the timing of the trespass notices, and concerns remain about accountability and transparency in the implementation of policies. Hostility and harassment The Advocate heard that people living in encampments and local service providers feel they are not being listened to when they express their needs or share solutions that can help to reduce homelessness and suffering in the community. Participants reported that some city officials have engaged in open hostility towards community service providers and advocates. Outreach workers described being harassed during evictions, while encampment residents reported acts of vigilante surveillance and even arson targeting encampment sites. During the Advocate’s visit, some people stressed that local Cambridge bylaws block outreach teams from the Region from establishing mobile health services, and people experiencing homelessness are left exposed to dangerous weather without adequate rest or recovery spaces. |
Related pages:
|
