By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer
A study conducted between 2021 and 2023 by SFU found that street sweeps by the City of Vancouver lead to higher rates of violence, disrupted access to services, and overdose risk.
Street sweeps involve police officers and city workers clearing public areas, displacing unhoused individuals, and often seizing belongings in the process. The study noted these practices first appeared in Vancouver in 2008 and are typically carried out under the pretext of tackling crime and dismantling illegal settlements, such as tent cities.
In early 2024, residents of the CRAB Park tent city were forcibly removed by the Vancouver Park Board, who also seized their possessions — a high-profile and contested example of street sweep practices. The Board forced the closure of the tent city in late October that year.
The recent study, which was published in the Public Health journal, surveyed 691 people who had unstable living conditions and used substances. It found that 24% of unhoused respondents and 14% of those in unstable housing situations had experienced at least one street sweep. The survey highlighted that such sweeps negatively affected respondents’ access to services.
Specifically, 36% of the surveyed individuals were unable to access housing services, about 26% were unable to access primary care clinics, 20% were unable to access supervised consumption sites, and 16% were unable to access addiction treatment.
The research showed that the confiscation of personal items during street sweeps often took away resources, “such as harm reduction supplies, medications, and identification documents.” Researchers argued these circumstances push people into even more precarious situations, such as living in tent cities, which are visible targets for future street sweeps. The distress of losing personal belongings, along with being pushed into environments where drug use is more common, heightens “susceptibility to overdose.”
The study also points to a 27% rate of violence from law enforcement among those who have experienced street sweeps, showing the dangers faced by the victims of the practice.
Street sweeps have long been contentious in the city, with many organizations rallying against them. The study points out that the number of unhoused people in this province has grown as a result of increased socioeconomic issues in the region. Issues include unfavourable housing policies and the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have pushed many onto the streets, possibly subjecting them to street sweeps.
Dr. Kanna Hayashi, an associate professor in the faculty of health sciences at SFU and an author of the study, told SFU News,
“Street sweeps are a costly, ineffective response to inequitable policies.”
— Dr. Kanna Hayashi, associate professor in the faculty of health sciences
“We need to fix the policies that created this crisis — not criminalize its victims.”
The study concludes by calling on the municipal government to study the systemic factors that led to the rise in the unhoused population. The study also notes that policies should be enacted that protect the unhoused, such as harm reduction policies.
