What we're calling for is for the federal government to have an encampments plan, a national plan to lead the way that involves all levels of government, including indigenous governments, and that includes new funds. This plan needs to be in place by August 31 of this year. That date is really important, because that's when we start talking about what we do with people in encampments over the winter months. We can't have another winter with people in encampments.
We can't be robbing Peter to pay Paul either, so we need new funding that's directly related to this situation. It has to uphold the human right to housing, as well as indigenous rights. These elements need to be in place.
We also need to properly engage with people who are living in encampments. I can't stress this enough. It's not just a question of listening and saying, “We already have a plan, but we're going to listen to you and then implement what we always planned to implement ourselves anyway.” A top-down approach does not work. Working with people with the lived experience who are in encampments will shed a very interesting light on what's not working. Why are they choosing to live in such brutally vulnerable situations? Why can't they access shelters? Why won't they access shelters? What are the barriers? The barriers are different from one community to another, and the way encampments manifest is different.
The solution is not shelter; we're talking about the human right to housing, and permanent housing that meets people's needs is the solution. While we're waiting for that to happen, people's human rights to dignity and safety have to be met, and that means servicing the people in encampments.