Tent cities Save Lives. They Shouldn’t Have To.

Long before the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the overdose crisis, tent cities have been a safe haven for the homeless. How did it come to this?

A glimpse of the Kennedy-Trudeau Homeless Encampment. Photo credit: Ryan Sudds.

I park my bike and survey the park. Tents — nearly 400 of them, according to a recent count — are everywhere.