Vancouver denies rumors of paying homeless to relocate

Rumors that the City of Vancouver is paying homeless residents to relocate to other communities ahead of the FIFA World Cup next month are false, according to city officials and leaders in several British Columbia municipalities. The persistent claims, which have circulated on social media since at least March, allege that individuals are being given money and bus tickets to leave Vancouver as part of a beautification effort before the international soccer tournament.

The City of Vancouver has explicitly denied the allegations. A spokesperson pointed to the city's recently published human rights action plan for the World Cup, which states that homeless services and programs will continue and that people can still erect temporary shelters in parks overnight. However, the city acknowledged it is required by FIFA to implement certain beautification standards, which include the removal of structures like tents and canopies during daytime hours, according to Deputy City Manager Sandra Singh.

Multiple cities named as destinations in the online rumors report no evidence of such a coordinated relocation. In Prince George, a city frequently cited in the claims, officials said their daily...