"While the city works to scale up services, such as warming centres and shelter spaces, McNally said it's nowhere near enough to meet the growing demand of people experiencing homelessness. She's calling on the province to address the affordability crisis in the province, which she says is forcing more people into homelessness. Affordability is the number one reason why people become homeless."
"Focusing on preventative, not reactive, measures will also save costs for the city, Gord Tanner, general manager for the City of Toronto's shelter and support services, said on Metro Morning. The money we spend on these emergency services is in the hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in the city of Toronto. That money could be better spent on long-term social housing, prevention programs, he said."
A deep freeze across the Greater Toronto Area is creating urgent risk for people experiencing homelessness as available shelter capacity may not meet demand. Insufficient space across the city and province could leave many without help during the cold snap. Calls for provincial action emphasize that housing affordability is the primary driver of homelessness. The city has opened five warming centres since Jan. 11, two surge sites, and plans to add 120 shelter beds, while stretching resources to move people into larger shelters. Preventative investments in long-term social housing and prevention programs are presented as more cost-effective than continuous emergency spending.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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