Quote:
Originally Posted by niwell
It's a generalization for sure, but from my experience I'd say a decent percentage (most?) of encampment dwellers in Toronto are the types of people who previously would have been living in cheap rooming houses. Problem is, the number of those rooming houses is dwindling, the ones that remain aren't even that cheap anymore and it's virtually impossibly to legally build new ones.
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I've made this point myself, and it bears repeating.
There have always been vagrants and panhandlers in Moncton, but the proximate reason for the current crisis is that about five years ago, the city fire marshall ordered the demolition of a significant number of dilapidated buildings in the downtown west end of the city. Some of these were rooming houses, others were abandoned SFHs, which had been broken into and turned into unofficial encampments. All were fire hazards, hence the demolition order.
The net result was that in a short period of time, a couple of hundred people found themselves homeless in the city with no real options. Some of these people have so much difficulty coping that I think they should be institutionalized for their own protection. Others however are salvageable, and for these people, a concerted effort by the city to provide low rent micro apartments or even rooms in a rooming house should be undertaken.
Even a rooming house is a much better option than a shelter bed. Everyone needs a space to call their own. They need more than a bunk bed in a dormitory. This should be a basic human right.
These people need a fixed address (somewhere government cheques can be sent). They need a phone and internet access (for potential employment). They need assistance (if necessary) to fill out forms on line and to conduct basic banking. Basic health and social services to deal with addiction issues should also be available.
This isn't rocket science.