A group of homeless people living under the Spadina Avenue bridge north of Blue Jays Way have been ordered to leave their makeshift shelter at 9.30 a.m. on Monday. “City of Toronto officials have given the homeless people a toll-free number to call for help,” notes Beric German of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. “But, they don’t have a phone to make the call.”

The TDRC is organizing to support the homeless people and will be on site Monday morning. “Nobody should have to live on the streets of Toronto,” says Cathy Crowe, Street Nurse and a founding member of the TDRC. “But, until there are enough truly affordable homes, then the city shouldn’t be driving people out of even the meagre shelter provided under a municipal bridge.”

The recent City of Toronto capital budget allocated zero municipal dollars for new affordable homes. The recent federal budget allocated zero new federal dollars for affordable housing. Ontario has promised since 2001 that it would provide hundreds of millions of dollars in housing funding, but has failed to meet that promise.  

“Governments at all levels have failed in their obligation to make sure that the people of Toronto have adequate housing,” says German. “Now, government officials are hounding people even in their makeshift shelter.”