Latest Hastings ‘tent city’ clear out deadline arrives

Wednesday marks the latest deadline for people living on a stretch of sidewalk along East Hastings on the Downtown Eastside to clear out.

Dozens of tents and temporary structures have lined the street for weeks, prompting safety concerns from some, including Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.

The department is worried about the fire risk the structures pose, as well as how they affect public safety.

The latest deadline comes after a previous one wasn’t met. Fire Chief Karen Fry had issued an order on Monday, July 25, for the immediate removal of the “tent city” structures by Thursday of that week.

At the time, VFRS admitted that the deadline would likely not be met. However, members stressed the importance of access to windows and doors in the event of an emergency.

“Our public education team has been educating some of the members in the area, providing information about how serious this is and how dangerous the consequences could be. The chief has said before — this could be catastrophic,” Capt. Matthew Trudeau said, adding dozens of propane tanks had been removed from the area.

“So far this year in that area, we’ve seen 816 outdoor fires and fires of structures already centred in that vicinity,” he added.

The removal of the structures was to be done in phases, according to the city, which noted the first of those steps was “focused on providing people with information and voluntary removal.”

The second phase, set to begin Aug. 3, is expected to see physical removal of the structures.

While the tent city has raised safety concerns, some people are worried about what the removal of the structures will mean for those who are living there.

Sarah Blyth, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society, previously told CityNews while she understands the reasoning behind the decision, she fears people experiencing homelessness in the area won’t have enough living options in the area.

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Judy Graves, a former advocate for the unhoused at the City of Vancouver, has also expressed worry about a lack of space. However, she supports the decision from the city and agrees safety hazards have become immense.

Some advocates have also said they feel fire crews are just pushing people who are struggling to find housing further to the margins of society.

Meanwhile, Vancouver Fire feels the tent city once again highlights the need for housing.

“There’s always been an urgent need but now the chief’s taking a stance to say, ‘no, we’ve got to address this,’ that there’s a priority and we’ve got to get people shelter, housing, however that looks,” Trudeau said last week.

When asked whether first responders care about the impact of the clear out, Trudeau was terse, saying, “of course we do.”