Summary of ALL Exploratory Questions

Rethinking Municipal Policy Responses to Encampments: Building a Human Rights Approach in Ontario

Pillar 1: Decentre Policing and Enforcement
  • Are encampments on public property made illegal through bylaws or other policy tools?
  • ​Do bylaws or protocols provide guidance to minimize the involvement of police officers and/or bylaw officers?
  • Are non-enforcement approaches to the safety and wellbeing of encampment residents centred in the municipal response?
​Pillar 2: Addressing Conditions in Encampments and Basic Needs
  • Do protocols include the provision of services to meet day-to-day needs?
  • Do bylaws make it illegal to carry out activities that meet basic needs?
  • Do protocols or bylaws offer guidance on improving conditions in encampments without resorting to forced removal or displacement?
​Pillar 3: Equitable and Accessible Social Services
  • Do protocols include strategies for equitable access to services, for example health care, housing support, harm reduction, and culturally specific services?
  • Do protocols require participation in data collection as a condition for accessing services?
  • Do protocols include a statement regarding the ability to refuse services?
Pillar 4: Meaningful Participation
  • Is there any evidence of lived expertise engagement in the process of developing encampment protocols or other relevant policies? 
  • Do bylaws and/or protocols recognize the autonomy of encampment residents in making decisions concerning their immediate options for shelter?
  • Do protocols provide a mechanism for encampment residents to participate in local decision-making concerning encampments?
Pillar 5: Recognition of Indigenous Rights
  • Is there acknowledgement of Indigenous Rights in the protocol?
  • Is there recognition of the need to consult with Indigenous people and/or Indigenous service providers in the protocol?