Edmonton

Background and Shelter Options

In August 2021, Edmonton City Council approved the adoption of a Minimum Emergency Shelter Standard. The Standard supplements existing shelter expectations to supposedly make it easier for people experiencing homelessness to access shelter. However, the standards are not binding upon the City, and remain largely aspirational. Existing shelters remain inadequate for large parts of the population, by not allowing pets, accommodating families, offering storage for personal property, or permitting substance users.

In August 2023, an action was filed against the City of Edmonton for its its encampment evictions and the lack of adequacy of its existing shelter system. However, on application from the City of Edmonton, the action was struck by the Court in Coalition for Justice and Human Rights Ltd v Edmonton (City), 2024 ABKB 148, meaning the grounds for this motion were never heard.

The Encampment Management Process

Encampments within the City of Edmonton are reported through the City's 311 portal (either online, or via telephone). Within 3-5 days of this reporting, Peace Officers investigate the site to determine the status of the encampment. Encampments are then dealt with in one of three ways:

1. If the encampment is classified "inactive" (i.e. no-one is on site), the City disposes of the property of encampment residents and schedules a "cleanup" as soon as possible.

2. If the encampment is classified "low risk", the City sends the Encampment Response Team to visit.

3. If the encampment is classified "high risk", then Peace Officers and the Edmonton Police Service will respond.

These three approaches are explained below.

Notably, there are no times when the City pauses this process. This means encampments are still cleared during extreme weather events.

Low Risk vs. High Risk

Whether an occupied encampment is deemed "low" or "high" risk depends on the following factors:

• size of the encampment;

• presence of biohazards, needles, and garbage;

• presence of fire and propane tanks;

• the amount of materials present on site, and;

• proximity to schools or playgrounds. 

Inactive Encampments

If an encampment is deemed "inactive", then this is added to a clean-up schedule, and the City sends clean-up crews as soon as possible to remove any items from the site. No notice is provided in these instances.

It is unclear how long a site needs to be vacant for before it is deemed inactive. Under the current approach, it is possible that an unhoused person could leave their tent for a day, and come back to find their home and belongings have been disposed of. This includes essential belongings including tents, propane tanks and stoves, ID, and bicycles.

Storage is not provided for unhoused individuals to retrieve their belongings.

Low Risk Encampments

Low risk encampments are managed through the Encampment Response Team ("ERT"), which is a partnership between the City of Edmonton, Homeward Trust, Boyle Street Community Services, the Bissell Centre, and Edmonton Police Service (EPS).

The ERT first works with agency partners to ensure outreach workers can attend the site and directly connect residents to essential services, resources, and housing where possible. Depending on the risks on site, this process can last a few days or a few weeks.

Following this outreach, the ERT determines a clean-up and closure date for the encampment, and inform residents of this date. This "closure date" occurs regardless of whether encampment residents are connected with suitable housing options.

Residents are able to gather their belongings and relocate to another location, however, objects that residents are unable to transport are disposed of by the City.

High Risk Encampments

If an encampment is deemed high risk, Peace Officers and Edmonton Police Service will determine an accelerated closure and clean-up date, within 1-3 days of investigation. While encampment residents will be provided with information on available resources (i.e. shelters, support services and transportation options) in advance of enforcement, they are not connected with outreach workers or the ERT, as is done in "low risk" encampments.

Tickets

The City of Edmonton has confirmed that they do not issue tickets to those who are unhoused.