Lorraine Lam, a member of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network, expressed shock over the closure of the surge warming centres, stating, 'We know that, whether it's 15 or 13 C, it is still cold, and so, the fact that they've closed the surge sites, to me, is completely egregious. Also, when they say that they are going to refer people elsewhere, we know that the shelter is full, we know that warming centres are basically at capacity, so where are they referring people to? It is still freezing out here and the risk of cold injury and death is very real.'
Lam emphasized the need for permanent solutions to homelessness, stating, 'The real solution to homelessness is deeply affordable non-profit housing, but in the interim, the city needs to provide year-round 24-hour low-barrier respite spaces for unhoused people, no matter what the weather is. It is dangerous to be outside in the elements without anywhere to go. What we really do need are options for people to go inside. Opening and closing at such arbitrary numbers, it's not realistic.'
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