Protest encampment in shadow of Abbotsford City Hall to be dismantled

Residents want a designated place to set up an encampment that would be governed by residents but government isn't supportive of the idea.

Published Sep 20, 2024  •  5 minute read

Campers have until Monday to leave an Abbotsford homeless encampment on the grounds of city hall. The protest camp was established in early summer and has since grown to 54 people. Campers want the city to designate a piece of municipal land to create a managed encampment. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Brian Hardy had a good place for six years. The rent was $405 a month, and the landlord left him alone.

But after a back injury and a renoviction, he found himself on the street.

Hardy is one of 54 people living in Abbotsford’s civic plaza, where a “protest camp” sprung up in early summer. Residents are demanding a piece of municipal land where they can pitch their tents and not be hustled away every morning.

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On Thursday morning, campers received a trespass notice from the City of Abbotsford. Eviction is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m.

From his tent in the shadow of city hall, Hardy can see the new Abbotsford police building rising behind construction fencing, and across the plaza, beyond the cenotaph, the white, blocky provincial courthouse. The city library and art gallery are just beyond.

He’s not going anywhere.

Abbotsford plans to dismantle a protest encampment on city hall grounds on Monday. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Everyone in the encampment has been offered shelter through B.C. Housing, but only six have accepted it, said a statement from the City of Abbotsford: “From what we understand, many of the individuals onsite aren’t interested in the shelter options being offered.”

That’s true, said Hardy and his friend Tim Myers.

“Shelters are even worse than jail,” said Myers, whose criminal record has made it hard for him to find housing. “There’s rules and curfews. They treat us like kids.”

B.C.’s approach to housing the homeless is funnelled through the shelter system, with people in shelters considered for supportive housing, said Brittany Maple, program coordinator with Abbotsford Drug War Survivors.

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“The system isn’t working when you’ve got 15 empty beds at the Salvation Army,” she said. “That tells me that we’re not meeting people’s needs.”

Maple listed several reasons why people choose encampments over shelters, including policies around couples, pets and substance use, as well as restrictive curfews, a lack of safety and security, and trauma, mental health and accessibility issues.

“It’s a cookie cutter model, and the people living here don’t fit,” she said.

Brittany Maple, left, program coordinator with Abbotsford Drug War Survivors, speaks about the protest encampment on Friday. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens said the city is aware of the “gaps in the system.”

“We’ve been advocating for more (housing) options, and I think we’ve moved the needle on that,” he said. More low-barrier and no-barrier housing is being built, although it’s not enough, or fast enough.

“Encampments are not a long-term solution — or even a short-term one — for the health and safety of the residents,” he said.

Police and bylaw officers have identified “increasing safety concerns” in the city hall encampment as it has grown from a small strip of grass near a parking lot to take over the plaza where community events are held.

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Maple said she would never argue there aren’t safety concerns for people living on the streets, including limited access to clean washrooms, potable water and unsupported mental-health problems, but she hasn’t seen those issues escalating in a way that puts public safety at risk.

On Friday, the camp was tidy and quiet. In tents scattered between giant cement planters filled with pink petunias, one person hung wet clothes on a line, while another ate lunch. People gathered in a tent with open sides to smoke. The calm was momentarily broken by a distraught man who said he’d gone into the cafe at city hall to buy a sandwich. While he was waiting for his food, security had forced him to leave. He was able to get a refund later, but no sandwich.

The protest camp was established in early summer and has since grown to 54 people. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Campers want the city to designate a piece of municipal land to create a managed encampment. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Maple said the group has written a letter to the city reiterating their call for a designated place, like a park, to set up an encampment that would be governed by residents. They believe the campers have the right to peaceful assembly outside city hall, including camping, and can’t be evicted. A rally in support of residents is planned for Monday at 8 a.m.

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The City of Abbotsford said B.C. Housing is aware that some people may be displaced when the camp is dismantled, but the provincial housing body isn’t supportive of a “managed encampment.”

“We are hopeful the closing down of the camp will be peaceful and that those who had been living at the protest encampment at the civic precinct will accept the offers of help from the outreach workers and move into other shelter or housing options,” said the statement.

Siemens said the city didn’t move to shut down the camp immediately as it recognized the right of citizens to protest. Over the last 2 1/2 months, city staff have facilitated meetings between the group’s organizers and B.C. Housing. Shelter has continually been offered.

The city plans to take a “calm and measured approach” on Monday when dismantling the camp, he said. There will be storage for people’s belongings and support workers and housing options in place.

Homelessness came up several times at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities Conference. On a panel Tuesday, two B.C. Housing staff members spoke about the challenges around encampments.

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They promised more support for municipalities through a new framework introduced in August called the HEART program. It’s intended to give people in camps or public spaces more access to support services, shelter and housing options.

The program is already active in Abbotsford, where outreach workers with the HEART program have been offering support to people living at the city hall encampment.

Maple said she was aware of the program, but hadn’t seen major changes since it began.

B.C. Housing staff told UBCM delegates it’s still “early days in every community,” with housing for everyone the goal.

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