Almost one week after hundreds of homeless people were cleared from Oppenheimer Park in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a new tent city continues to expand in a parking lot near Crab Park.
Now, the Port of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»says it is taking legal action against the people in the new encampment.
Back in April, the B.C. government unveiled a plan to move close to 700 homeless people from camps in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»and Victoria into hotels, motels and community centres. Approximately 200 of those people resided in Oppenheimer Park.
All spaces are monitored by non-profits, which provide 24-7 support for residents, including access to health care and medication-assisted drug treatment if needed. Two meals a day are provided.
Fencing was erected throughout Oppenheimer Park to stop new campers from moving in.
Photo: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»And while more than 300 people between the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»and Victoria encampments have moved into housing, over a dozen tents appeared in the parking lot near Crab Park.
A number of people have shared images of the encampment on social media, with many wondering why so many people are still displaced after BC Housing offered accommodation.
Oppenheimer Tent City 2.0 on at Crab Park continues to grow, while and continue to not take action. Please don't let this turn into Oppenheimer!
— Tommy Levi (@tslevi)
Hi , the new tent city outside Crab Park is extremely noisy and disruptive every night. As someone with an anxiety disorder trying to shelter at home this is severely impacting my mental health. Please, please help. Residents are people too.
— Tommy Levi (@tslevi)
Danielle Jang, Media Relations Advisor for the Port of Vancouver, tells Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» in an email that the encampment in the parking lot is within port authority jurisdiction.
"We had informed this group last Saturday that they are trespassing on port property and need to vacate within 24 hours," she writes.
"As this deadline has passed, we are taking steps toward legal action in response to their refusal to vacate."
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police Spokesperson Sgt. Aaron Roed tells V.I.A. in an email that police are aware of the encampment and are monitoring the situation. However, he notes that it is a Port of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»property and that the port authority is looking at options on how to proceed.
Photo: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»
Photo: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»
Photo: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» has reached out to BC Housing and will update the story when more information becomes available.
- With files from Mike Howell.
