Rustad announces plan to end tent cities across British Columbia

BC Conservative Party Leader John Rustad on Saturday announced his unwavering commitment to end all tent cities across the province. Rustad laid out his plan to restore order, safety, and dignity to communities that have been overrun by these dangerous encampments under David Eby’s NDP government.

“Enough is enough,” said Rustad. “Tent cities have turned our streets and public spaces into unsafe, chaotic zones where crime flourishes, and law-abiding British Columbians no longer feel safe. A Conservative government will take action to end tent cities once and for all. We will not let this continue.”

Rustad outlined a comprehensive plan to permanently eliminate tent cities by focusing on safe housing solutions, enforcing the rule of law, and introducing new measures for compassionate intervention:

  1. End Tent Cities Once and For All: Under a Conservative government, no tent city will be allowed to stand. Illegal encampments will be cleared, and those living in them will be provided with safe, supportive housing.
  2. Housing with Community Safety in Mind: Supportive housing will be completely dry and will operate under a zero-tolerance policy for drug use. Additionally, it will be established in locations and under conditions that protect the safety and character of communities. “We will never force dangerous or disruptive facilities into residential neighborhoods, as the NDP has done,” Rustad said. “Our housing plan will ensure that supportive services meet the needs of individuals without compromising the safety or integrity of surrounding communities.”
  3. Compassionate Intervention Legislation: The Conservative Party will introduce laws to allow involuntary treatment for those at serious risk due to addiction, including youth and adults. “This is about keeping the most vulnerable safe,” Rustad emphasized.
  4. Building Low Secure Units: Creating secure facilities designed for the treatment of individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others, ensuring they receive proper care in a safe environment.
  5. Crisis Response and Stabilization Units: Establishing units to provide targeted care for those experiencing severe addiction or mental health crises, reducing pressure on emergency rooms and providing better outcomes for those in need.
  6. Law and Order: The Conservative Party will ensure strict enforcement of public safety laws to clear illegal encampments and keep public spaces safe. Law enforcement will be given the tools needed to remove these encampments and restore order.

Rustad condemned Eby’s approach of handing out free hard drugs and crack pipes, arguing that these policies have fueled addiction and worsened the tent city crisis.

“Eby’s approach has been a disaster,” said Rustad. “Instead of addressing addiction with treatment and support, he’s been handing out free hard drugs and watching as tent cities spread across the province. A Conservative government will end this reckless policy and bring real solutions.”

Rustad emphasized the need to return public spaces to communities. “Parks, streets, and neighborhoods should belong to families and residents—not to crime-ridden encampments,” he said. “We will clean up these spaces, restore order, and ensure they are safe for everyone.”

Rustad promised a fresh start for British Columbia under a Conservative government.

“British Columbians deserve better than what the Eby NDP is offering. We will end the tent city crisis, restore safety, and bring dignity back to those who need help. It’s time to clean up our streets and give people their communities back,” Rustad concluded.

 

MEANWHILE, BC NDP candidate for Port Coquitlam Mike Farnworth said: “Encampments are closed by building housing and providing people with treatment. But John Rustad has committed to cancelling housing across the province. Let’s be clear: Rustad’s plans will lead to more encampments. That’s a risk we can’t afford.”

He said Rustad was a BC Liberal cabinet minister with a long record of blocking housing construction and making deep cuts to health care and housing. He cut youth treatment beds just as the toxic drug crisis was starting, and cut affordable housing investments by a staggering 75% in a single year.

Now, Rustad’s plans will cancel hundreds of thousands of homes we have on the way and mean deep cuts to the treatment and health care people need.

Farnworth said David Eby and the BC NDP are taking action to build homes and treatment beds across the province and launch new secure care for people with brain injuries and severe mental health and addictions challenges — keeping them safe and keeping communities safe.