A group of advocates are pushing back against a provincial bill targeting encampments and the use of drugs in public spaces. Members of the Encampment Justice Coalition have penned a letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford asking him to withdraw Bill 6 – The Safer Municipalities Act, arguing the legislation involves “punitive measures” and makes people feel unsafe. “What we’ll see with this bill is just more heavily policing of people,” said lawyer and advocate Ashley Schuitema, the executive director of Waterloo Region Community Legal Services, a non-profit organization providing free legal services to low-income individuals. “It will certainly increase fear and just distress people that are living here,” she explained. “To know that they can be more heavily policed, that they could be subject to higher fines.” If the bill is passed, it will give police more power to arrest anyone in possession of an illegal substance in a public place, including a tent in a park or on public property. Individuals can receive fines of up to $10,000 or face up to six months in prison. “Criminalizing and removing those who have no choice but to live in public spaces doesn’t actually provide any meaningful solutions to the homelessness crisis,” said Harini Sivalingam, equality director with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “This is not a piece of legislation that will make municipalities safer,” echoed drug strategy specialist Michael Parkinson. “On the contrary, what we know is that once people come out of jail, they often end up right back where they started.” The letter goes on to say the imprisonment of these individuals may cost taxpayers $133,955 per homeless person, per year. “It’s an expensive stay with a whole host of harms that will not improve community health and safety,” Parkinson argued. Bill, bylaw & court order Bill 6 is just the latest effort to address the growing problem of encampments. The Region of Waterloo recently approved a bylaw to clear 100 Victoria Street North in Kitchener by the end of November and make way for a transit hub. “Region staff have developed a plan to transition residents into alternative housing with an increased allocation of resources and supports,” a media release stated on April 24. A court order has prohibited municipalities from evicting encampment residents without adequate housing. “I don’t know how it will specifically impact the exist court case, because as far as I can tell, the province has not included the notwithstanding clause,” Schuitema said. “We should still be able to make our arguments around the Charter rights of the residents living here.” The Encampment Justice Coalition said it will continue to push for the bill’s withdrawal as it moves through the legislature. Initially introduced in December, the bill died on the floor once the provincial election was called. It was reintroduced on April 30 and is expected to be discussed this week. If Bill 6 passes, the coalition said it will shift its focus to challenging the legislation in court. CTV News reached out to the Premier’s Office, as well as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to comment on the bill backlash but did not hear back by our deadline.
