People living at Anita Place Tent City may be staying put for a while longer.
An agreement has been reached between the City of Maple Ridge and lawyers representing occupants of the Anita Place homeless camp to address safety issues at the site on 223rd Street in Maple Ridge.
According to the city, steps will be taken to reconfigure the camp to address “life safety issues” that have been identified as part of regular inspections of the site.
The agreement will be jointly presented by both parties on Nov. 27 in B.C. Supreme Court, with a request that the court issue a Consent Order to make the agreement binding.
Once the consent order is granted, the city will agree to an adjournment for the portion of the injunction requesting the removal of the camp. That will provide the province and B.C. Housing time to develop a plan to provide housing for the occupants.
Homeless advocate Ivan Drury, with the Alliance Against Displacement, had been confident that Anita Place Tent City would win its case in Supreme Court.
He said previously that the courts are reluctant to force homeless people from a place where they are safe, into situations where they will be more at risk, adding that there is no where else for the homeless in Maple Ridge to go.
The Pivot Legal Society is representing the Maple Ridge homeless camp.
• More updates from the City are expected on Monday.