The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated homelessness. Throughout the pandemic, shelters reduced capacity to comply with public health protocols, people lost jobs and affordable housing remained elusive.
With a rise in tent cities and makeshift accommodations, homelessness has gained visibility.
Local municipal authorities across Canada have worked to enforce bylaws. Many have dismantled encampments to the dismay of activists and people experiencing homelessness.
These events, media coverage, ensuing protests, and policy discussions raise important questions about public space: How should it be used? Who is the public? And the question I am concerned with here is, what are the implications of pushing people who are homeless out of these “inclusive spaces”?
www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/churches-and-libraries-are-partnering-to-address-homelessness