Our media partner Postmedia is taking a closer look at the troubling issues of tent cities in an in-depth investigation. Join us 11 a.m. PT March 12 for a special edition of Conversations Live with Stuart McNish where we will take on this critical matter with Postmedia and a panel of people facing this issue in their work every day.

The impacts of tent cities are intensely local and personal – for both the homeless residents struggling to get through the day and the people living in the neighbourhoods around them. Yet far being isolated local issues tent encampments have become a national crisis, a reality for far too many communities across Canada - including many small towns.

By one estimate some 235,000 people now experience homelessness in Canada every year, and about a quarter of those stayed in a tent encampment. These ad hoc communities are often miserable - densely packed, dangerous, cold, and attractive to predators targeting vulnerable residents. Residents trying to stay warm resort to open flames and propane tanks inside tents, causing very real fire risk.

Yet, what option to their residents have? Like all of us they need a warm, safe place to sleep. Municipal and provincial governments are forming teams to take on this issue, but fact is there just isn’t sufficient shelter space and safe housing, let alone critical social service supports.

Encampments have become an issue of fundamental human rights and safety. But there is no clear way forward.

We hope you can join us for this national conversation – on webcast 11 a.m. PT March 12.

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