Summary of Pillars and Exploratory Questions for
Enacting a Human-Rights Based Approach to Encampments
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?