Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is welcoming the government of Ontario’s latest fight against homeless encampments with the passing of Bill 6, also known as the Safer Municipalities Act.
The Ford government’s new Act allows local authorities more power to clear homeless encampments with fines of up to $10,000 or six months in jail for trespassing or using drugs in public.
In late 2024, 12 mayors sent Premier Doug Ford letters asking for help dealing with encampments.
One of those leaders, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, says this Act is necessary to decrease the use of drugs in public spaces.
“We’re doing our best to make sure that there’s zero tolerance for drugs in public spaces and that means clearing out encampments,” Brown said at a news conference Friday.
Advocates for those living on the street say this bill will criminalize homeless people.
“What we’ve seen with this bill now being passed is that folks who are homeless will be considered criminals if they are perceived as using drugs in public spaces,” Encampment Justice Coalition spokesperson, Diana Chan McNally said.
Before Bill 6 was enacted, the city of Brampton had been clearing out public spaces, hiring private security and putting up signs prohibiting overnight camping.
Sheena Paton, a Brampton resident who lived near where some tents were set up says she’d prefer if they were left alone.
“Nobody knows their story and how they’re living on the streets and whatnot,” she said.
Mayors across Ontario say they’re calling for more from the province and federal government to help with other support services including shelter space.
McNally says providing more living space is the solution.
“The only thing that is going to end encampments is housing,” she said.” So the pressure should have always been on the government to expedite that housing for people instead of using criminalizing tactics and tools like we’re seeing in Bill 6,”
The Encampment Justice Coalition plans to take the matter to court with the argument that it’s an infringement on people’s rights with nowhere for them to go.
