Residents of an encampment near Branchton Road have scored their first victory against the City of Cambridge as they look to stop an eviction of their camp.
During a Superior Court of Justice hearing this morning via Zoom, representatives from the city as well as the legal team retained by two of the encampment residents have agreed to halt any evictions until a judge has made their decision.
"I would say this is certainly a win for our clients, because they get to stay at the encampment without the risk of being displaced and experiencing further harm for an unknown period of time.," said Ashely Schuitema, lawyer for Waterloo Region Community Legal Services.
During the hearing, both parties agreed to a set of terms that would prevent the city from evicting any residents until the courts have made a decision.
These terms would also prohibit the city from preventing anyone from entering the encampment and not allow the residents to erect any new structures that are not tents.
A meeting will be scheduled next week to sort out a time for another hearing after the city has more time to look over the case and all relevant information.
The City of Cambridge has declined to comment on the ongoing case to protect the integrity of the court system.
The plaintiffs will be relying on a previous decision handed down to the Region of Waterloo by Justice Micheal Valente that prohibited them from evicting the Victoria Street encampment over a year ago.
"Nothing has changed in terms of the facts other than things have gotten worse for people experiencing homelessness, a shelter system continues to be overburdened and inaccessible. So certainly that case will have an impact on this decision," said Schuitema.
Schuitema also notes that while only two residents have retained them for their services, up to 13 people were living in the camp at one time.
There is no timetable for when this case will be heard in front of a judge, but to the residents living in the camp, this means they get to live without the fear of being evicted and forced to move to the next location.
