cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/65278721

“The encampment is currently the only place in the region where it is not illegal for homeless people to set up a tent or structure,” the decision read. “The region has clearly stated that if the encampment is cleared, it is not prepared to allow homeless people to shelter outdoors anywhere on region property. The extremity of this position is what ultimately drives the findings that the infringements are not saved by [the Charter]. No one should romanticize or be starry-eyed about the encampment. It is a miserable and desperate place. But it represents the only remaining safety valve for the region’s homeless as a refuge of last resort.”