Vancouver goes to court to end Downtown Eastside tent city

The City of Vancouver has filed for a B.C. Supreme Court injunction to shutdown a makeshift campsite on the Downtown Eastside,citing significant health and safety risks.

"The amount of garbage, rodents, human waste, sharps it's a really hazardous site," said the city's deputy manager Paul Mochrie.

"The conditions there on the site are certainly not, we believe, safe or conduciveto the well-being of the people who are staying there."

The empty lot, at 58 West Hastings St., has been home to dozens of people since July.

Some have moved

On Oct. 21, the city gave notice to occupants of the siteto leave by noon on Oct. 25and move to 30 newly opened shelter spaces.

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"The site is now down to roughly 10 tents from about 45, so many people have moved on," said Mochrie.

"But there's a group there that, as of yet, we're still working with to move them off."

In a statement, the city says, "conditions at the camp have deteriorated to the point that it has become necessary to take further action to ensure the safety and well-being of the dozen or so people who currently remain there."

Worsening weather is also a factor.

"This is not an action we take lightly," said Mochrie.

"Our aim really is to support those individuals who are down there. These are not good conditions they're living in and our hope is we can work with them to transition into shelter and then that's a stepping stone for them to move on to more permanent housing."

Housing promise

Last month, the city announced a$70-million plan to build250 units of social housing at thesite.

Staff willbe available to helppeople find shelter and move their possessions, said Mochrie.

Many of the people at theencampment, however,argue living in atent is preferable to living in a shelter.

"The City hopes to count on the cooperation of camp residents to ensure that this transition period results in a safe and peaceful resolution," continued the written statement.

Two years ago, the city obtained an injunction to shut down a similar homeless camp at Oppenheimer Park, also on the Downtown Eastside.

It ended in the arrest of five people.