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Charter rights and encampments in Hamilton 

Although encampments have become more visible in Hamilton and other cities since the pandemic, they are not new. In the 1920s and 30s, a group of people lived in “ramshackle boathouses”, the so-called Shacktown of Cootes Paradise. This caused public debate at the time related to the beauty and orderliness of the city.   

Housing is a human right according to the Canadian government’s National Housing Strategy Act but there is also the potential for conflict between the enforcement of City bylaws and other rights of people living in encampments. This conflict is at the heart of a legal case initiated by Hamilton Community Legal Clinic claiming the City’s policy is violating people’s rights as outlined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms including life, liberty, security and equality rights.  

In this episode of Future Intended, Rudi Wallace hosts Clare Freeman (Executive Director, HCLC) and Michael Ollier (Director of Legal Services, HCLC) to talk about the case and the importance of finding housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness. 

Listen below or download here.