Marie-Josée Houle says that forcing people out of camps is against their human rights
The housing advocate for the federal government is asking Quebec to stop tearing down homeless camps in Montreal, including a popular one under a highway in the city center.
The Transport Ministry of Quebec says that Route 136 between the Turcot Interchange and the Ville-Marie Tunnel needs a lot of work, which can’t be done as long as people live under the structure.
The government says it will have to force the people to leave if they don’t leave on their own.
“The campsite under Route 136 is on property owned by the ministry that is now a construction zone,” said Transport Ministry spokeswoman Sarah Bensadoun.
“It’s not safe for the campers to be there while we do the work.”
Marie-Josée Houle was named Canada’s first housing advocate, which is a job that has nothing to do with politics, last year. Part of her job is to suggest ways that the country’s housing laws could be made better.
Houle went on Twitter on Wednesday and said, “Forced evictions of encampments are a violation of human rights.”
“People’s health and safety are at greater risk when they are evicted,” Houle wrote. “They are more likely to be alone, exposed, overdose, or be hurt.”
“As I do a nationwide review of homeless encampments, I want to stress that all levels of government have a duty to promote and protect the human rights of encampment residents.”
The province’s Transport Ministry planned to move in and force people to leave the camp. But because of pressure from the public, the ministry put off the eviction.
Advocates for homeless people have said that governments shouldn’t move in and tear down camps until they give homeless people a permanent place to live.
There are also worries that if the people in the camp move, it will be harder for community groups to find them and help them.
Bensadoun says that the ministry is working with the city, local health authorities, and community groups to help people who need to move.
She says that when it gets warmer, the construction work will pick up, and the people who live under Route 136 have a few more weeks to move.