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Reports / Articles |
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October 2001
State of the Disaster - Update 2001 The Toronto Disaster
Relief Committee (TDRC) issued the State of Emergency declaration in
October 1998, declaring homelessness a national disaster.
We have articulated a political strategy to virtually eliminate
homelessness, known as the One Percent Solution.
This proposal requires that all levels of government increase
annual spending on housing by a mere 1% of their total respective budgets.
We continue to fight for this solution.
However, until such time as Canada has a national housing strategy,
large cities like Toronto desperately need emergency, life saving measures
to deal with their homelessness crises. One year ago, the TDRC
released “State of the Disaster: Winter 2000,” which was a shocking indictment of
Toronto’s shelter system, based on interviews with homeless people,
shelter staff and front line workers.
Two serious problems were identified:
an approximately 1000 shelter bed shortfall; and an existing
shelter system that is overcrowded, dangerous, and which in many cases
does not meet United Nations standards for refugee camps.
Now, as we approach
another winter, the homelessness disaster in Toronto looks like this:
continuing high rates of infectious diseases, including TB,
Hepatitis C and HIV; continued rampant and arbitrary barrings from
shelters; the clearing out by police of homeless people from the downtown
parks, to which they have been forced, because shelters are full; a
population explosion of homeless people living in makeshift encampments
and shanty towns. This year,
instead of trying to move indoors for the winter, many people are trying
to prepare their shacks and tents to withstand the winter weather. They know that it will be virtually impossible to find safe
shelter in the system. Since our last State of
the Disaster report in October 2000, we have recorded the deaths of 39
more homeless people. At the
end of September, yet another of those deaths was the brutal homicide of
Bill West, a homeless man who had no safe place to live.
This report evaluates the progress made by the City of Toronto in
dealing with its homelessness disaster over the past year
It is a shameful litany of denial and inaction.
We reiterate our call for these recommendations to be
implemented immediately.
1)
Order a moratorium on shelter closures for the duration of the
disaster NOT SUPPORTED. 2)
Open four dormitory style facilities, which should be run by an aid
organization such as the Red Cross, as emergency shelter/warming centers.
These facilities should be able to accommodate up to 150 men, women
and couples, and should be available for the duration of the disaster.
NOT SUPPORTED. 3)
Open a number of appropriate shelter facilities (for example, which
are smaller, more private, with increased supports on site) to meet the
needs of women, people with disabilities, aboriginal people, youth, people
with serious addictions or health/mental health problems, and people
living with AIDS, to make up
the remaining 400 beds required. Included
in these beds should be at least one “wet hostel” for women and other
harm reduction facilities to meet the needs of people in the above groups
with addictions. NOT
SUPPORTED. City Council
approved 1000 more beds over 3 years.
These beds were cancelled during the budget approval process.
4)
Ensure that the above facilities and existing facilities meet the
United Nations Standards for refugee camps as well as established North
American disaster relief standards. For
example, an adequate number of toilets must be accessible; beds or cots
versus mats on the floor must be provided; adequate space allocation must
be provided; food provided must meet nutritional needs; health services
should be provided on site. UNITED
NATIONS STANDARDS NOT MET IN MANY SHELTERS. 5)
Ensure that the above facilities and existing facilities operate
from a harm reduction philosophy. There
must be adequate staffing levels and adequate staff training with respect
to mental health issues, harm reduction and crisis de-escalation to ensure
both safety and the meeting of standards.
THERE ARE STILL VERY FEW HARM REDUCTION BEDS IN THE SYSTEM. 6)
Direct the Manager of Hostel Services to develop a policy on
barrings for all city-funded shelters.
In particular, barring must be reserved for extreme cases of
violence and, in the event that someone is barred, alternate shelter must
be found. The policy must include a consistent barring protocol and
clear appeal process and should be posted in every shelter. NOT DONE. A
review of Hostel Standards, including barring, will not be completed until
spring 2002 at the earliest. 7)
Direct the Medical Officer of Health to carry out a special
investigation of health standards in the shelter system to ensure that
they meet international public health standards.
If necessary, Hostel Services must fund any identified
deficiencies. NOT DONE. The
Public Health Department will participate in the Hostel Standards review;
will not be completed until spring 2002.
8)
Direct the General Manager of Social Services to develop a policy
to ensure that all people using the shelter system, including the Out of
the Cold Program, have access to the 9)
Develop a voucher system so that, until such time as sufficient
shelter space is made available, homeless people can be sheltered in
motels or hotels. NOT
SUPPORTED. 10)
Direct the Medical Officer of Health to develop and implement a
strategy for ensuring sufficient access for homeless people to public
toilets. NO STRATEGY MADE PUBLIC NOR IMPLEMENTED.
MEMORIAL LIST Mike Laracy For more information, contact TDRC at tdrc@tdrc.net |