City of Edmonton sued over homeless encampment evictions

A group is suing the city claiming that evicting homeless people from encampments violates their human rights.

The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights (CJHR) filed the lawsuit against the City of Edmonton on Monday.

In a news release Thursday, the CJHR said in part, "Despite being aware of the inadequacies in housing and shelter provisions to address the needs of all Edmontonians, the City of Edmonton continues to displace encampments with no reasonable solution. These actions have placed vulnerable people in dangerous situations, thereby violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and undermining their fundamental human rights."

There were 3,137 homeless people in Edmonton as of August 2023, according to Homeward Trust Edmonton's By-Name List, CJHR said in its statement. Nearly 1,400 people sleep in shelters or outside.

"The city put those people at great risk of frostbite. Frostbite amputations, pneumonia, hypothermia and even death," said Chris Wiebe, a lawyer from the Engel Law Office who acts as co-counsel for CJHR.

Wiebe says there is inadequate shelter space in the city for those who need it, claiming in the last two years, the number of shelter beds peaked at about 1,200.

"Despite knowing there is no place they can go, the city regularly tells people who are staying in encampments on city land that they are breaking bylaws, or they are trespassing, and they must pack their things and move along."

Wiebe says peopledisplaced often lose belongings such as ID, propane tanks and stoves, while the camp that was disrupted often ends up forming again a few blocks away.

Homeward Trust, a non-profit organization that advised the city on its encampment strategy, and one of many that connects encampment residents with shelter space, housing, and other supports, says the city only dismantles camps where the risk of fires or serious crime is high.

"Encampments are not all the same, and encampments can become very dangerous," said CEO Susan McGee.

"We have a community that’s been really working hard to be as thoughtful and respectful as possible." 

In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, the city confirmed it received notice of the legal action and that it is preparing to discuss and defend its approaches in court.

Council held a special meeting on Thursday to discuss the legal action in private.

The city has until Sept. 18 to file its statement of defence.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson