Pivot Legal Society

Court victory over anti-homeless bylaws!

with DJ Larkin

In the case of B.C./Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors (DWS) v. Abbotsford, homeless people challenged three City of Abbotsford bylaws that have been used to displace the homeless population from public spaces throughout the city. During the six-week trial that began on June 29, 2015, the Court heard from several homeless Abbotsford residents who detailed how municipal bylaws have been enforced to displace people sheltering in public spaces despite the fact that many have no other options. Testimonies describe how homeless campers have had tents pepper sprayed by police, had chicken manure dumped on their camp, and been subjected to countless other displacement tactics that put their lives at risk. (…)