“The shelter system in Toronto and Ontario is collapsing during a frigid winter, while the Premier fails to take any action.
In the past 10 days alone, three unhoused Ontarians have died from extreme cold in Toronto. It’s a tragedy that could have been avoided with the necessary emergency and long-term investments in housing.
The shelter system was already under stress prior to COVID-19, and the pandemic has made the situation even worse. Outbreaks are putting further strain on a system that was already bursting at the seams. Shelters and warming centres are at capacity. And the result is tragic.
I am calling for emergency and long-term investments, including:
- Immediate delivery of N95-quality masks and rapid tests to shelters
- Increased capacity at isolation centres and warming centres
- Indoor air quality improvements in shelters and mobile vaccination sites at shelters
- Uploading a minimum of 50% of shelter costs to the province
- Investments in 100,000 affordable rental homes and 60,000 permanent supportive housing units”