The recent heavy-handed removal of the shelter of individuals on Pandora Avenue in Victoria by an army of bylaw officers and police raises the issue of the rights of the individuals affected.
There has to be a balance between the demands of communities for freedom from the annoyance and their security from individuals who congregate in tent cities and the rights of those individuals. People who shelter on the street are composed of those who choose to do it, those with serious mental illness, those with addictions and those with physical limitations and often a combination of all these. Our Place Society, and their Dandelion Street Outreach teams have initiated this approach for 77 individuals they have been in contact with.
From a public health perspective those in tent cities need access to water, sanitation and even laundry to meet their needs.