The Ontario Alliance to End Homelessness condemns the actions of the City of Toronto and the Toronto Police Services in ‘clearing’ the encampment at Trinity Bellwoods Park on June 22nd. There is no context in which state violence against those experiencing homelessness is part of a functional solution to preventing and ending homelessness.

We point municipalities across Ontario to the recommendations of the World Health Organization to leave encampments during the pandemic, and to the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Housing to treat all people as rights holders. This action was harmful and shameful and we must change our response from criminalizing people experiencing homelessness, to ensuring that all people have access to safe, affordable housing.