Ottawa tent city residents told to leave, again

Residents of the tent city near Bayview station have once again been told to leave. 

The National Capital Commission posted an eviction notice over the weekend, advising those living there that they must pack up and go by 7 a.m. Monday. 

Residents were given a verbal notice to leave the area earlier this month but were given an extension at the last minute to find stable housing before leaving the tent city. 

The group Overdose Prevention Ottawa organized a protest for Monday morning and said on Twitter that the people living in the tent city, “have nowhere to go as a result of a lack of affordable housing in their neighbourhood.” 

Residents of Tent City are once again being threatened with eviction by the @NCC_CCN NCC – this time with more force.

Stand-up for Tent City tomorrow at 7am, just north of Bayview LRT stop: https://t.co/HBtfNlpYPO#Right2Housing#CommunityNotCriminalization#HomesNotHate

— OPO (@odpreventionott) December 9, 2019

In a statement released on the Overdose Prevention Ottawa website, representatives for the tent city said they were informed about the eviction on Sunday through a news story. Shortly after finding out about the eviction, the notice, issued by the NCC, was found posted to a tree. 

Residents also said, “the notice embellishes and lies about the reality of our homeless status and the progress in our housing situation.”

In response to the eviction notice, a list of 13 demands for the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission have been released by the residents of the tent city: 

1. We be provided with a focal point at the City of Ottawa and within the NCC with whom we can communicate and  meet on a regular basis. We request that all communication is provided in written notice. 

2. We be treated at all times with dignity and respect by city officials, NCC officials, police officers and any other government representatives. 

3. We require emergency shelter in motels in the neighbourhood or as proximate to the neighbourhood as possible.

4. If we have to stay at Tent City, while we find housing, we demand better and livable conditions. Our right to safety is paramount and must be upheld. We demand electricity, toilets, non flammable heaters, water, tents, waste management services, and blankets. We have not been provided with this to date and this is contrary to our entitlements under international human rights. 

5. Stop threatening evictions and our right to exist in public space. 

6. Immediately make use of the many empty housing units available in the city to address desperate housing needs. 

7. Reduce barriers on potential tenants and the requirements needed for them to successfully obtain housing. 

8. Implement policy to ensure landlords that operate multiple properties and rental units designate a % of said units to be used for not for profit housing. 

9. Increase penalties for landlords abusing their power and treating tenants unfairly. 

10. Increase social assistance to match rent market. 

11. Accelerate the development of low-income housing units that are currently underway. (For example: Gladstone + Booth + Baycrest.)  

12. Refuse the sale of low-income housing units to private owners. 

13.  Implement oversight committee to regulate landlords to stop renovictions from happening. 

In April, about 20 homeless people moved to the area after a pair of rooming houses caught fire. 

Overdose Prevention Ottawa feels the NCC is violating International Human Rights because it says, “forced evictions are illegal.”

The protest will run from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. Monday.