In Toronto, the unhoused population faces restrictions on camping in public parks due to municipal codes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily altered this reality, allowing unhoused individuals to set up encampments in parks as shelters reduced capacity. This situation fostered interactions between the housed and unhoused populations, as public parks became shared spaces during the pandemic. For a time, encampments represented a unique opportunity for solidarity but also sparked conflict as housed residents sought to have them removed, highlighting ongoing challenges in addressing homelessness amid public health crises.
"When the first wave of COVID-19 swept through the city, parks were one of the few places for people to gather..."
"This exceptional moment created an opportunity for more frequent encounters between the unhoused and housed in public spaces."
"The presence of unhoused people in public parks-despite policing, despite anti-camping bylaws, despite discouragement..."
"Encampments became an increasingly common part of the city's daily public life, and the people living in them mixed with others."
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