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TDRC Media Releases |
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January 30, 2002 Preparing
a Death Sentence Under the heading “It’s Shelter Bedlam (Tuesday, January, 29th, 2002) Sue-Ann Levy of the Toronto Sun wrote a scathing attack on homeless people. In her column she writes that the city’s budget committee vice-chairman Paul Sutherland thinks there should be a moratorium on the “creation of any and all new shelters for the city’s homeless.” “Now we know where many of the city’s homeless problems come from,” says Musonda Kidd of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC). Social service agencies, advocates and the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) have been saying all winter that beds should be opened immediately. We’ve seen too many homeless people die. Two died in crowded shelters from tuberculosis. This should have been a wake up call. Instead we have a journalist and a councillor spewing hatred against the most vulnerable.” Levy writes that Sutherland has suggested that “before one more dollar is spent on shelter beds” Mel Lastman should create a task force to review whether there are better ways to serve the homeless. “Taskforce!! I’ve stacks of recommendations from various task forces --
they won’t shelter homeless people this winter,” says Cathy Crowe, a
street nurse and member of the TDRC.
“The TDRC has proposed a plan to house people in long term
affordable housing. The
creation of transitional housing and emergency shelters are needed while
permanent housing is being built. Any
plans to cut shelter expenses would bring about catastrophic results.
Don’t these people know that there is an urgent need right now
– we’re in a recession, thousands are being evicted.
We are the richest city in Canada. We are required to house and
shelter people.” TDRC will be sending a letter to Councillor Sutherland requesting an emergency meeting with him to remedy this matter now. For more information, contact TDRC at tdrc@tdrc.net -30- |