5,000 signatures reached
To: Mayor Tory
Immediately increase shelter capacity and declare homelessness a state of emergency in Toronto
Immediately declare a homelessness state of emergency, and add at least 2,000 emergency shelter beds, including enough capacity to accommodate all homeless currently living in tents.
Why is this important?
URGENT: Tomorrow Toronto City Council will be debating whether or not to declare a state of emergency to trigger immediate action on the homeless crisis affecting our city. Declaring a state of emergency will take people off the streets and help save lives.
We’re partnering with Progress Toronto to deliver the petition to councillors tomorrow, but to convince them to support it, we have to collect as many signatures as possible right now. Sign before it’s too late.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently, the City of Toronto began issuing eviction notices to homeless people who seek shelter from fierce winter weather in tents under the Gardiner. These notices are delivered under the guise of “no camping” by-laws and force people to either hide from authorities or attempt to navigate a shelter system that lacks the resources to accommodate them. [1]
With severe winter weather predicted this weekend, forcing these people out of their tents into unsafe and over-capacity shelter system that may or may not even be able to take them in is cruel, inhumane, and dangerous.
The city of Toronto must take immediate action to expand shelter capacity, and halt tent evictions until capacity is more than adequate to provide safe, secure shelter for those in need.
All too often, these are the people who are left behind. A flood of public pressure from a massive petition will let Mayor Tory and City Council know that this issue isn’t going to fade away, and could force a change in policy.
Source:
[1] https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/city-giving-homeless-living-in-tent-cities-2-weeks-to-vacate-structures-1.4254610