Marion Willis, founder and director of the organization, told CBC News that over the last two weeks, nine encampments have been dismantled, helping at least a dozen people to pack their belongings and relocate into shelter spaces and other forms of housing.

“There’s no safety, there’s no hope at the encampments, and that just elevates the chance that a person will succumb to a fentanyl overdose or violence,” she said.

“We have noticed that the shelter system is completely full, that’s why it’s so important that we have an emergency response, but even more important we have a housing response,” Blaikie Whitecloud from Siloam Mission said.

“We’re not going to emergency shelter our way out of homelessness.”