Encampment eviction in Prince George, B.C., was a 'serious human rights violation': federal housing advocate

Canada's federal housing advocate says the eviction of more than 30 encampment residents in Prince George, B.C., was a "serious human rights violation," stating the city did not ensure "safe and adequate housing alternatives" before displacing people permanently.

Canada's federal housing advocate says the eviction of more than 30 encampment residents in Prince George, B.C., was a "serious human rights violation," stating the city did not ensure "safe and adequate housing alternatives" before displacing people permanently.

In an interview with CBC News, Marie-Josée Houle said the decision by Prince George city council and staff was "among the worst practices" her office has seen in municipal approaches to encampments.

In a written statement, the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate expressed further concern "that residents may have lost important survival equipment and significant personal belongings in the process of eviction."

Houle said the former encampment at Millennium Park was "a crucial survival space for the city's unhoused and unsheltered residents" and believes the forced eviction was in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Encampments themselves are a symptom of exactly how broken our housing and homelessness system is in Canada," Houle said. "And then to take action to forcibly remove people ... is a violation of right to life and dignity, and safety."