Congratulations To The Homeless

But I don't see anything figures indicating how many of the 67,000 people, who have probably been on the waiting list for years, were moved into subsidized housing or how much it costs us to keep the homeless in these lodgings or how many are permanently employed, etc. etc.? BTW it is interesting that it was the federal liberals who shirked their responsibility during Paul Martin's slash/burn years which forced provinces to cut back on social programs. Remember this come the provincial election.

Small step for homeless TheStar.com - comment - Small step for homeless

July 18, 2007

An innovative program to find permanent housing for Toronto's most troubled homeless who live on the streets has proven to be a real success since it was launched two years ago and should be expanded.

Since Toronto City Council introduced the Streets to Homes program, permanent housing has been found for more than 1,200 people, of whom 87 per cent remain housed. A survey released this week of these formerly homeless people also found they are happier, healthier and rely less on emergency services like hospitals and ambulances.

The Streets to Homes program, based on a "housing first" strategy, is aimed at finding permanent housing for people instead of just focusing on improving services for them as they continue to live on the street. As well as finding homes for the homeless, the program provides extensive support to ensure they stay housed.

Although this small program has proven its worth, it cannot by itself end homelessness in Toronto and the surrounding 905 communities. A study last summer found nearly 1,000 people are sleeping on the street each night in Toronto and close to 4,000 are living in 63 homeless shelters. In addition, more than 67,000 people are on the waiting list for subsidized housing in Toronto alone. The average rent for a bachelor apartment in Toronto is about $750 a month, but the shelter portion of social assistance payments is only $325 a month.

Indeed, the homeless problem has grown worse in recent years. Cathy Crowe, a Toronto street nurse and author of a new book, Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out, wrote this week in the Star that "there is no question that circumstances today, compared with 1998, when hundreds of organizations declared homelessness a national disaster, are more catastrophic."

The lack of affordable housing has been exacerbated by Ottawa's decision in the late 1990s to download the cost of providing subsidized housing onto provincial governments, which in turn told cash-strapped municipalities to put up much of the costs.

Clearly, more help is needed from Ottawa and Queen's Park. Other jurisdictions are tackling this problem in big and small ways with a spirit of co-operation between all levels of government

And as the small Streets to Homes program has proven, even small initiatives can pay huge dividends for the less fortunate in this city.