
And we will get the taxpayers of the City Of Toronto to make it legal to be a leech......
Help for beggars who have homes
City panhandling project would promote services
By ZEN RURYK, CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Toronto officials have responded to calls to rid tourist areas of panhandlers with a plan designed to help beggars who are not homeless make better use of social programs.
Councillor Case Ootes has called for panhandlers to be banned from tourist areas, but a report from city officials says that people often confuse panhandling with homelessness. The report notes that people with homes hustle cash on the streets for reasons such as paying rent, buying food and supporting addictions.
"The helping of passive pandhandlers is objective number one: Hooking them up with services they might not be aware of," said Phil Brown, head of the city's shelter and housing department.
He said the city also wants to collect demographic information about panhandlers and find out the kind of services beggars would like offered. The city's executive committee will be asked Monday to approve the pilot project ,which is to run from July 3 to Sept. 17 in the area bounded by Spadina Ave., Queen's Quay, and Jarvis and Dundas Sts.
"I'm not content," Ootes said of the plan.
City lawyers determined council has the authority to impose some restrictions on panhandling that could include times and locations.
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