The final day to move away from the Lonzo Road encampment in Abbotsford has arrived for the people still living there.
On Monday afternoon, people were packing up belongings in cardboard boxes with the help of BC Housing. The encampment is emptying out, but there are several large trailers still in place, including some that are fire damaged.
The site has been called the city’s most violent homeless camp by the Abbotsford Police Department, while Mayor Ross Siemens has referred to it as “the Wild West.”
The city, joined by the Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis, announced on June 13 that the residents had been given two weeks to vacate.
A 50-bed temporary shelter will be built on the site at a cost of $4 million, with construction beginning as soon as the site is cleared. It will be in use for 18 months while a new location is secured. The camp is situated on Lonzo Road in east Abbotsford just north of Highway 1 west of Sumas Way (Highway 11) and occupies Ministry of Transportation (MOTI) land that was initially intended as truck parking.
There is now a security fence surrounding the site and a security company in place.
Cst. Art Stele of the Abbotsford Police Department confirmed with The News that there are people still living at the site this week. He added that the police are not on site full time, but are monitoring the situation and “standing by” if called in.
He said some people have accepted offers of housing so far, and they aren’t anticipating any pushback or violence from residents at the encampment this week.
Two weeks ago there were about 15 people living on the site, according to officials at the time. That’s the lowest since 2020, when there were more than 100 people there. Those being moved were said to have been offered indoor living space, either in existing shelters or through rent supplements.
Also on Monday, two groups penned a joint letter calling on the government to stop the “illegal eviction” from the camp.
The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) and Pivot Legal Society wrote that “that forcefully evicting encampment residents when there are inadequate housing options available is illegal.”
“The residents say they have not received offers of alternative housing, and neither the city nor the province have released any documentation of the availability of shelter or housing to those being evicted,” the letter states.
“Forced evictions inherently violate the dignity of residents and constitute a violation of domestic and international human rights law, including the right to housing and standards of procedural fairness… Moreover, forced evictions are a manifestation of on-going settler-colonialism and legislated poverty.”
A City of Abbotsford spokesperson said the decampment is being coordinated by MOTI, with the help of outside organizations. That ministry referred The News staff to the housing ministry.
‘Stop The Cycle of Homelessness’
Kahlon’s office responded to the letter through a statement to The News on Monday afternoon, saying they “recognize the urgent need to offer safe, indoor housing to those currently sheltering at the Lonzo encampment.”
A representative said that everyone sheltering at Lonzo Road is being support support to find alternative housing, either through assistance relocating to available shelter or supportive housing spaces or through rent supplements.
“This ongoing crisis reflects the significant demand for housing and the need to stop the cycle of homelessness and prevent future encampments,” a spokesperson said. “Everyone deserves a safe place to live, with access to the services they need. While encampments may offer a sense of community for some people, they are not a safe or suitable form of long-term shelter and create significant risks for peoples’ well-being.”
It goes on to say that the ministry is working with partners to transition people from the Lonzo Road encampment into safe accomodations.
“While we understand the encampment response at Lonzo will be challenging for its current occupants, it is necessary to address health, fire and safety issues at the encampment, and to support the creation of the new shelter. The new shelter at Lonzo Road is expected to be open in early 2024.”
The ministry also confirmed that site transition will take place over the next two to four weeks.
-with files from Vikki Hopes
READ MORE: ‘It’s the Wild West in there’: Abbotsford homeless camp causes health and safety concerns
READ MORE: Lonzo Road encampment in Abbotsford to be cleared out and new shelter built
@CHWKcommunity
jessica.peters@abbynews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.