Long Blog 4 – a Need at its Extreme – Maher Blogging the Just City 2020

The homelessness crisis isn’t new to Toronto. According to Fred Victor, a Toronto-based social service organization, there are over 9200 homeless people in the streets of Toronto every night with nearly 30% over the age of 50. Shelter is one of the basic human necessities, the homeless population does not have that. The alarming 9200 does not include those living in overpopulated shelters. The need for shelter has accelerated since the COVID-19 crisis was officially labelled a pandemic this past March.

While the general population has been advised to stay sanitized, social distance, minimize unnecessary outings, and to stay home quarantined, the homeless population has lost many of their resources. Local shops and restaurants have been closed or are no longer accepting cash and drop-in food centres and shelters have either closed or must limit service due to government enforced social distancing policies. Shelters were already at their maximum capacity or overcrowded and even with the city’s efforts in leasing hotels for housing, there are still 500 to 1000 people reported to be living without so much as a bad for themselves (taken from Nick Westoll of Global News Canada).

“While COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate, we know that it is disproportionately dangerous for those who are homeless and in the shelter system,”
Joe Cressy, the chair of the city’s board of health

I have spoken about issues surrounding the dehumanization of the homeless population. You can read about it in my first long blog here. I speak of our negligence, active detachment, and the lack of humanly support given to the homeless. We actively leave the humans in our cities out of our minds and treat them as they are not equal to us. This problem escalates as homeless people were not immediately given care when the pandemic hit Toronto.

Cathy Crowe, a Canadian street nurse pointed out the lack of urgency and preparedness for the homeless in Toronto. She applauded the city’s efforts in opening eight new facilities for housing to a total of 69 shelters, but highlighted the lack of urgency, that every homeless person should be off the streets with a room of their own. Crowe also mentioned the importance of maintaining social distancing and cleanliness procedures in existing shelters and prioritizing testing for those entering housing facilities. The homeless population is generally more susceptible to disease and have higher mortality rates as they often have difficulty accessing the health care and social services they need (The Street Health Report, 2007). Having hundreds of people with weakened immune systems due to age, illness, or addiction in small confinements with minimal staff to ensure proper distancing measures is feeding grounds for the spread of COVID-19. The lack of precautions will just worsen the issue for all.

This video from Global News of Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, explains the measures to move 80 people living in the Seaton House shelter after one of its residents was tested positive for the corona virus. Early testing before granting entry to healthy shelters could have prevented this move. Eighty people will have to adjust to a shift, some of those 80 people may be infected, and they may spread the virus to other shelter residents and their staff. The city doesn’t have the resources to individually isolate the 80 people who may have been exposed to the virus. I can appreciate the new measures taken place as a result of this outbreak and two others at The Willowdale Welcome Centre and Dickson Hall as of April 8th, more information on these outbreak statements can be found here. But these new measures unfortunately don’t take away from the fact that the city was ill-prepared in acknowledging the severity and need for care for those experiencing homelessness.

It saddens me to see the city’s neglect of our homeless population, especially in the midst of this dangerous pandemic. The lack of urgency in protecting this population while they have lost most of their resources and support system and where they are weakened and more vulnerable to disease shows failure in the city’s care of its citizens. I understand that it is not easy to care for and keep track of over 9200 people experiencing homelessness, but emergency preparedness and preventative measures could have been enforced to limit the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of Toronto’s population.

I hope those who are able will continue to follow the advised safety precautions. Stay safe Toronto.

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