Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 park board says it has begun the process of closing the homeless encampment that has been in place at a local park since 2021.

The park board says it is talking directly with each of the seven people still in the camp located in the designated area at Crab Park, with the goal of closing the encampment and returning the area to 91裸聊视频済eneral park use91裸聊视频� by Nov. 7.

In a statement, the park board says all seven people on site had been offered shelter previously but declined those offers, and five of the individuals had been offered housing with one person specifically already rejecting three such offers.

The statement says 91裸聊视频渙ngoing non-compliance91裸聊视频� at the encampment remains a health and safety risk, as well as an 91裸聊视频渦nsustainable91裸聊视频� strain on the park board91裸聊视频檚 resources, and concern is growing as winter approaches.

The Crab Park encampment began in 2021, remaining in place in 2022 when a B.C. Supreme Court judge set aside eviction notices partially because the city didn91裸聊视频檛 have enough indoor shelter spaces to accommodate those living at the camp.

In a written response, activists describe the park board91裸聊视频檚 latest move as an 91裸聊视频渆viction91裸聊视频� and criticize the city91裸聊视频檚 response to the camp and its residents, including what they describe as a 91裸聊视频渃allous response91裸聊视频� during last weekend91裸聊视频檚 torrential rain when residents were not allowed to erect additional tarps.

The activists also criticized the city91裸聊视频檚 decision to end the encampment happening outside of the courts, where an 91裸聊视频渆qual platform for a cohesive decision91裸聊视频� could be reached.

91裸聊视频淏oth the federal Housing Advocate91裸聊视频檚 Review of Encampments and the National Protocol on Encampments stress the requirement for meaningful engagement and effective participation, for recognizing residents as rights holders and prohibiting forced eviction,91裸聊视频� the statement says.

The park board says it is 91裸聊视频渃ommitted to supporting each person in the designated area throughout this closure,91裸聊视频� and anyone still at Crab Park after the camp closure date would still be permitted 91裸聊视频渢o shelter temporarily overnight according to bylaws.91裸聊视频�

The board says the bylaw 91裸聊视频減ermits overnight sheltering with structures taken down by morning.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淕iven these individuals have received shelter and housing offers, there is no longer a fair and reasonable rationale for these individuals to have priority and exclusive access to daytime public park space given the other over 600 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness across the city who are required to comply with the Parks Control bylaw,91裸聊视频� the park board statement says in a background explainer of the situation.

The board says the park serves about 6,000 people within a 10-minute walk, an area with very few other green spaces nearby.

The city had previously forced people out of the encampment in March to conduct cleanup on the sites, and residents were allowed to return to the designated area at Crab Park in April.

The cleanup crew removed more than 90,000 kilograms of debris and material, 20 propane tanks and six generators during the operation.