Tent encampments prove 'exactly how broken' Canada's system is, federal housing advocate says

A new report on tent encampments across Canada calls for urgent action from all levels of government to end what the federal housing advocate describes as a "life and death crisis."

Marie-Josée Houle said her report, released Tuesday, is the first of its kind in Canada. The report — titled Upholding Dignity and Human Rights — outlines six calls to action to address ongoing homeless encampments across Canada.

"It is a physical manifestation of exactly how broken our housing and homelessness system is from coast to coast to coast in Canada. It needs urgent measures," Houle told CBC News.

"Government must act immediately to save lives."

Houle launched a review into homeless encampments in February 2023 and released an interim report in October. The final report comes as communities across the country grapple with encampments and residents without safe, consistent shelter. 

According to the final report, an estimated 20 to 25 per cent of homeless people across the country live in tent encampments, affecting not just many cities but also rural regions, including northern Saskatchewan, Labrador and Nunavut.

Houle's report calls for the implementation by Aug. 31 of a national encampments response plan that would ensures that those living in encampments have access to basic necessities, like clean water, food and health care.

It also calls for speedy solutions to permanent housing issues that are driven by federal, provincial and local governments, and that are based on people's living experience. 

"It is an issue of life and death for a lot of people. And so we need immediate action and then we need some long-term action," said Houle.

"Government is … really good at responding on the immediate but then they forget the last piece, which is about the permanent solutions."

While the federal government has "really couched" housing supply issues as the main cause of homelessness, said Houle, more complex issues — including colonialism, trauma and poverty, as well as barriers to the shelter system — are at fault.

While some temporary housing solutions are better than others, she said, they are often unsanitary and cause people to lose sight of the need for long-term measures.

"Shelters are important. They're there for emergencies. That's not a place for people to live," said Houle.

"Just because people experiencing homelessness are no longer visibly experiencing homelessness to the public, [it] doesn't mean that they are not vulnerable anymore or that the issue is solved."