About – Hamilton Encampment Support Network

ABOUT HESN

How We Got Started

Due to a lack of social supports, the number of unhoused people in Canada is increasing. Unfortunately, this situation is often met by violent enforcement of encampments instead of compassionate approaches that support our unhoused neighbours. In Hamilton, some major escalations against encampment residents occurred in October 2020.

HESN was present at both the Ferguson and First Ontario Centre encampments that were dismantled by the City of Hamilton in October 2020. We saw, first-hand, that advocacy was needed around legal observation and consent-based negotiation between the authorities and encampment residents and we intervened, where asked, when the rights of Hamiltonians were being infringed upon.

We successfully worked with encampment residents to come up with solutions and prioritized meeting those residents where they were at, rather than imposing the often artificial timelines and rules being handed down by the City and other authorities.

Where We Ended Up

After several days of encampment resident evictions in October 2020, legal observers regrouped and continued to check in on the folks who were impacted. In November and December of 2020, legal observers and other volunteers who had been active at the Ferguson and First Ontario Centre encampments joined what became known as Freedom Camp .

Freedom Camp, a movement by Defund HPS organizers to draw attention to the ongoing housing crisis in Hamilton, was set up in front of Hamilton's City Hall for more than 2 weeks and brought many Hamiltonians together.

Freedom Camp organizers supported unhoused Hamiltonians by providing access to shelter, medical aid, food, clothing, and support. When Freedom Camp eventually shut down, organizers committed to continue this work and launched the Hamilton Encampment Support Network.

In January and February of 2021, volunteers created strategies to continue encampment support. Folks began to train new volunteers to go out into encampments and provide assistance to residents who wanted it.

We know that this work will continue to be important and we look forward to allying ourselves with other like-minded organizations who see the need to prioritize those most impacted by Hamilton's housing crisis.