Encampment Justice Coalition calls on Premier to rescind Bill 6

"The approach of the Bill, which is based on failed U.S. policy, punishes encampment residents and deprioritizes housing as a solution in favour of coercive drug treatment and jail. ... Moreover, the Coalition questions importing disastrous American policies at a time when Ontario must define itself from America and stand united against the economic threat of American tariffs... [which] threaten to make more Ontarians homeless"

Ontario’s homelessness crisis is out of control. Something needs to be done — but it shouldn’t include punishing people forced to live in encampments. They have nowhere else to go.

This is why we have joined the Encampment Justice Coalition.

We are 60 organizations — and growing — working across communities in Ontario.

Together, we’ve written to the Premier asking his government to rescind Bill 6, the Safer Municipalities Act. This Bill — taken directly from failed American policy — won’t make anyone any less homeless. But it will hurt people and greatly increase policing and prison costs — paid for by your taxes. All while American tariffs continue to make life harder and less affordable for everyone.

To address encampments, Ontario must commit to proven solutions that respect people’s human rights — especially safe, affordable housing.

Read our letter to the Premier: https://tinyurl.com/EJC-Bill6

Today's Press Release:

[Thursday, May 1st, 2025: Ontario] — 62 organizations working across communities in Ontario stand

united as the newly formed Encampment Justice Coalition. Together, they have published an open

letter to the Premier asking his government to rescind Bill 6, the Safer Municipalities Act, and commit

to human rights-compliant, evidence-based, and proven solutions — especially safe, affordable

housing — to address Ontario’s encampment crisis.

The Coalition represents an unusual intersection of organizations with expertise in housing,

homelessness, health care, drug policy, disability justice, human rights, settlement, migrant justice,

public transit, and Canadian law. Within the scope of their expertise, they are united in their opposition

to Bill 6. The approach of the Bill, which is based on failed U.S. policy, punishes encampment

residents and deprioritizes housing as a solution in favour of coercive drug treatment and jail.

The Coalition affirms that jails and coercive drug treatment do not solve homelessness — housing

does. Moreover, the Coalition questions importing disastrous American policies at a time when Ontario

must define itself from America and stand united against the economic threat of American tariffs.

These tariffs threaten to make more Ontarians homeless, and punishing encampments will only

exacerbate this — both directly, but also indirectly, as the associated policing and prison costs will

become an untenable burden on taxpayers.

The Coalition calls on the Premier to stand with all Ontarians, including encampment residents, by

prioritizing care, not punishment, and investing in the solutions to homelessness that are proven to

work. The Coalition also invites the Premier and his government to meet and discuss positive

solutions with its representatives.

Quotes

“Premier Ford's decision to treat unhoused people as criminals is not only discriminatory, and a

violation of human rights, it is a foolhardy policy. Countless studies have shown incarcerating people

neither solves homelessness nor restores the human right to housing. It does however, balloon

budgets and create a displacement cycle. Premier Ford should brush up on human rights law and start

meeting his obligations: find long term, affordable secure housing for the thousands who need it

across the province.” — Leilani Farha, Global Director, The Shift

“Bill 6 criminalizes unhoused people and those living in poverty, disproportionately harming already

marginalized communities, including Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities, women and

gender diverse populations, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities.

Rather than addressing the root causes of homelessness through rights-based solutions that uphold

dignity and autonomy, it will deepen the crisis.” — Harini Sivalingam Director, Equality Program,

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

“Bill 6 is not only a cruel and ineffective response to homelessness — it’s a direct attack on the

survival of women and gender-diverse people who are already facing extreme violence, poverty, and

systemic discrimination on the streets. This legislation doesn’t make communities safer; it makes them

more dangerous for those with the fewest protections. Criminalizing homelessness, especially in the

absence of adequate safe shelter or harm reduction supports, will push more women into hiding, into

unsafe situations, and further away from help.” — Stefania Seccia, Women’s National Housing &

Homelessness Network

"The Ford Government has chosen to undermine and attack the rights of all Ontarians through Bill 6.

Disabled People in Ontario already face rampant criminalization, further disablement and death

throughout the Ontario justice system, particularly those among our communities who are unhoused.

This legislation only furthers the violence faced by unhoused disabled people—opening the door to

mass incarceration and institutionalization. Without any action to raise social assistance rates and

create accessible, affordable housing, this government has chosen instead to violently attack already

precarious, disabled communities across this Province." — Brad Evoy, Disability Justice Network of

Ontario

“Warehousing people in jails is the most expensive, least effective option, and a clear indicator of

government-facilitated failure, not success. The Safer Municipalities Act is unsafe, unhealthy, and

unwelcome. We encourage governments to engage with Ontario’s leaders rather than polls, pundits,

and Trump-style partisan politics. The experience and expertise exists right here in Ontario to the

benefit of all taxpayers. No one would recommend this Act as a real solution to the dual humanitarian

tragedies that, since the 2018 election, have killed more than 24,000 people by overdose alone, and

left more than 80,000 folks without housing across Ontario.” — Michael Parkinson, Drug Strategy

Network of Ontario

“Bill 6 does nothing to solve Ontario’s homelessness crisis. Municipalities have asked for long-term

housing solutions and instead have been met with short sighted, harmful, and ineffective enforcement

measures that target the most vulnerable in our communities. Encampment residents are rights

holders that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not heavily policed and swept out of sight

under the guise of public safety.” — Ashley Schuitema, Executive Director of Waterloo Region

Community Legal Services

Our Letter to the Premier

Read online here: https://tinyurl.com/EJC-Bill6

PDF with original signatories:

Encampment Justice Coalition — Letter to the Premier.pdf

Download PDF • 367KB

Jpeg of letter sent May 1, 2025: