Benjamin Perry, local advocate for the unhoused and member of Food Not Bombs Tri-Cities recently raised concerns about a planned sweep of the homeless encampment on the 3000 block of Gordon Avenue in Coquitlam. Story by LJI reporter Geoff Scott.

The sweep was to be conducted by Coquitlam Bylaw Enforcement and the RCMP and was scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 26, in accordance with notices that were posted the week prior. According to the notice, in accordance with civic bylaws tents and personal belongs were to be removed from the site between 8 am and 9 pm daily.

In a press release, Food Not Bombs said the displacement of unhoused residents would put them at increased risk of harm, including overdose, violence, and health crises.

While on location TCCTV questioned bylaw officials who admitted that there are no other options in place for those living in the encampment. Taking away tents would only result in the unhoused coming back to the city for new tents ( a service the city still provides for unhoused residents ). If forced to remove their tents on a daily basis they would eventually pop up along the banks of the Coquitlam river and other equally inaccessible areas that would prove to be a greater fire hazard.

While choosing to speak off the record officials lamented that we don't have a system more like Scandinavian countries where municipal governments work hand in hand with other levels of government to address the ever growing challenges of the growing population of unhoused.