Group provides tents to Downtown Eastside campers after crackdown

A day after the City of Vancouver began dismantling the encampment on East Hastings Street, new tents were being handed out for free.

It’s not clear who the group was, but they were set-up on Columbia Street Thursday afternoon.

“These lovely people here are handing out sandwiches and they’re handing out tents,” one woman told CTV News, before carrying hers away.

The city estimated there were 117 people living in 74 tents or other structures on East Hastings.

Police, firefighters and city officials said the encampment had to come to an end due to safety concerns.

Yet as officials were dismantling another part of Hastings Street, a group of friends who were told to pack-up and leave 24 hours earlier had set up a new camp in the same spot, this time under a patio umbrella.

Within minutes of CTV News' arrival, someone else turned-up, thrilled that they too had acquired a new tent.

“We’ll probably set up another umbrella and tie it all together with a tarp,” said James, who didn't give his last name.

He insisted that even if police tell them to take it down and move on, they’ll keep coming back.

The Union Gospel Mission confirmed it didn’t have enough room for everyone seeking shelter Wednesday night.

It did, however, manage to find beds at different shelters for those who didn’t get in.

“If every single person yesterday had actually taken up the offer of shelter that was being made available, there was not enough shelter space in the city,” said UGM spokesperson Nicole Mucci.

“There was not enough housing in the city.”

Another issue is staffing. If a shelter with 100 beds doesn’t have enough staff, it may not be able to open – at least not entirely.