A lawsuit from the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) aims to prove that prohibiting people from sheltering in public spaces in Vancouver during the daytime violates sections of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Shelter is a fundamental human right. It provides people with safety, security, community and is necessary, first of all, for survival,” said Vibert Jack, litigation director for the BCCLA.
“What the city is doing to the unhoused community here in Vancouver is taking all of that away from them and killing them, frankly, and we want that to stop.”
On Thursday, the BCCLA, along with three other plaintiffs with lived experience, filed the notice of claim in B.C. Supreme Court.
The challenge targets three city bylaws that “make it illegal for unhoused people to shelter outdoors during daytime hours.”
It also claims the city engages in daily sweeps to enforce the ban, destroying encampments and seizing …