Stop the Sweeps is raising funds for tents, sleeping bags, and other cold-weather supplies.

A donation of $60 can provide a brand new tent for someone, $30 will purchase a sleeping bag and $20 is 5 pairs of socks.

DM @stopthesweepsvan on instagram to etransfer if you prefer!

Every year, as below-zero temperatures approach, the City of Vancouver ramps up its theft of tents and other belongings of people living outside. Park rangers, cops, and city engineers claim that they are “enforcing bylaws” while they ignore and worsen the life-threatening conditions of the people they repeatedly steal from.

We are in a toxic drug crisis, a housing crisis, and a cost of living crisis. Vancouver’s hostility towards its unhoused population is skyrocketing, as is the city’s policing budget, at the cost of public services and supportive housing. The Vancouver unhoused population is 5,232 according to the 2025 Homelessness Count. This is a 9% increase since 2023 and a 141% increase since 2005*.

We live in a world where there are thousands of empty condos yet people remain sleeping outside - we know that this systemic violence isn’t an inevitable future! It’s up to us to take steps in a direction for the world we want, and it starts by showing up, however we can, for our unhoused neighbours!

All donations will go directly to cold weather mutual aid distribution in DTES.

People who have no other choice but to shelter outside need their possessions to survive. Please help us purchase replacements for some of these stolen belongings.

* 2025 Point-in-Time Homeless Count in Greater Vancouver https://hsa-bc.ca/_Library/2024_25_HC/2025_PiT_Homeless_Count_for_GV_Preliminary_Data_Report_250730.pdf