Joe Mihevc's Choice:
Believe the Homeless or the Bureaucrat:
Does Toronto Lack Shelter for the Homeless?
Mihevc chairs the City of Toronto Community Development and Recreation Committee. This is the
committee with the responsibility for social services in Toronto; helping the poor and the homeless.
Members include city councilors Joe Mihevc, Brian Ashton, Maria Augimeri, Janet Davis, Frances Nunziata
and David Shiner.
At their last committee Street Health, Central Neighbourhood House, the Mennonite Central Committee
and a member of the homeless community spoke to Mihevc and the other city
councillors about the lack of shelter beds;
criminalization of the poor and other serious issues facing the poor. The city bureaucrat asked to respond
disagreed with the findings. Who is Joe to believe?
Gaetan Heroux, of Street Health told Mihevc and other committee members, "We've met with politicians and said, 'we have
a problem, people are not able to get into shelters'." Heroux made it clear, "We are talking
about food and shelter here, people need that to survive."
On the prior Monday evening at midnight Heroux observed 20 people in the Referral Center waiting
to get a bed. Heroux said, "What we're told by Mr. Mihevic is that there are
sufficient beds. I think the politicians and bureaucrats are being dishonest
with the public, not truthful, lying, and it doesn't reflect the reality the
people are living." Heroux added, "Who's lying?"
Mihevc took umbrage and responded, "Folks, we are anxious to listen to what you have to say. We
will listen respectfully." The politicians didn't before. The poor lady that
presented to the committee prior to Gaetan Heroux at one point had the attention of only Janet Davis, every other
committee member was either walking around the meeting room, getting coffee, or talking. Then
even Davis turned her attention away to talk to a city official. This is Mihevc's idea of listening
respectfully?
Brian DuBourdieu, homeless man, reiterated what had Heroux told Mihevc and said,
"I get sick of this...I'd rather sleep outside to tell you the truth."
He talked of his experience with ticketing of the homeless. Dubourdieu
has a lot of outstanding convictions. "They are asking for two years given [I have]
thousands of dollars worth of [outstanding] fines.
I guess this is the new way to upload services, if I go to jail for two years that's
provincial, that's uploading from the city." His point drew applause in the room.
Another presenter to the committee said, "How fast can the city bring in a shelter - overnight - 9/11 proved it."
We did it for tourists but not for the homeless.
City Bureaucrat reports Shelter Spots available to howls of protest
Mihevc and the committee asked the the bureaucrats responsible to respond.
Apparently, according to the bureaucrat,
there were beds available the night before drawing laughter and scoffs from the
audience which included members of the homeless community who knew the facts quoted didn't represent
their reality.
So who is right?
Toronto issued a media advisory on February 27th, 2008 stating, "Extreme Cold Weather Alerts open an additional 80 emergency shelter spaces in
Toronto. An extended outreach effort sees additional vans patrolling city streets
overnight checking on homeless people and providing them with transportation to shelter.
TTC tickets are also available at drop-in centres,
to help homeless people reach shelters."
Seemed to us a perfect time to determine who was right the city bureaucrat or the homeless, Street
Health, Central Neighborhood House and The Mennonite Central Committee.
The Toronto Tribune called the
Street Helpline 416-392-3777 or 1-866-392-3777 which provides information and referral
for persons experiencing homelessness. We said we were homeless and needed shelter. We were told
we were being transferred to the referral center and went directly to voicemail and
were instructed
to leave a call back number.
Okay which genius came up with this policy for the homeless - to access shelter services on a night
with an Extreme Cold Weather Alert, someone who can't afford a home or room must have access to a telephone
with voicemail.
Something needs to be done! Joe's Choice: Keep the status quo or help the homeless. The answer seems
obvious.
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