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A tiny wooden shelter with a window and a lock on the door. Image: courtesy of Khaleel Seivwright from his website
Toronto takes carpenter behind tiny shelters for homeless people to court
Cathy Crowe | In a modern David and Goliath epic, the city of Toronto is threatening carpenter Khaleel Seivwright with legal action over his structures for homeless people.
Blog
Image of plexiglass sleeping cubicles in Better Living Centre. Lawn type furniture cots substitute for beds. Image: Cathy Crowe
Toronto continues to fail homeless population with prison-like plexiglass cubicles
Cathy Crowe | The City of Toronto faces criticism for using plexiglass cubicles that resemble prison cells in a recently re-opened congregate shelter.
Blog
Image: Cathy Crowe
Judge rules City of Toronto breached its agreement to ensure physical distancing in homeless shelters
Cathy Crowe | A legal coalition returns to court to advocate for physical distancing in shelters to protect homeless people from COVID-19.
Blog
A street in Moss Park, Toronto. Image: marc falardeau/Flickr
It's time to address the systemic social injustices exposed by COVID
Ken Theobald | This pandemic has coincided with a dramatic struggle for racial and social justice. This struggle gives us confidence that the previous "normal" will no longer be tolerated.
Blog
Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park in 2019. Image: Paul Sableman/Flickr
It's more important than ever to show compassion and humanity to homeless people
Lisa Lacoste | "I see constantly in Toronto not a lack of concern about homelessness and income inequality, but a sweeping inability to acknowledge it."
News
Image: Saim/Flickr
Toronto taxi drivers say city's lack of guidance likely contributed to COVID-19 spread
Chelsea Nash | Ten taxi drivers working at Pearson International Airport have died since the beginning of the pandemic.
Blog
A crowded shelter. Image: Cathy Crowe
City of Toronto finally commits to physical distancing standards in key court settlement for city's homeless people
Cathy Crowe | It took a lawsuit at the Superior Court level to push Toronto to commit to enforceable physical distancing in shelters.
Columnists
Image: K.H. Reichert/Flickr
The worldwide housing crisis: Unite, organize and check your pensions
June Chua | The cost of housing is affecting everyone everywhere. Activists are organizing against the corporatization of neighbourhoods and calling on people to question pension funds invested in real estate.
News
Grassroots organizer Suzanne Narain. Image: Errol Young. Used with permission.
Permanently temporary work for Jane-Finch residents
Zaid Noorsumar | As many as 100 temp agencies operate in the highly diverse neighbourhood, says advocacy report.
Blog
A homeless person sleeps next to Santa's sleigh on a main street in Toronto. Image: Cathy Crowe
Canada's brutal decade of homelessness
Cathy Crowe | Cities across the country are evicting people from outdoor tent encampments. Without a national housing program or municipal support for shelters, the homelessness crisis has become an emergency.
Columnists
Mobile phone showing Uber logo. Image: Automobile Italia/Flickr
Predatory tech players are latest enemies of public good
Rick Salutin | It's necessary from time to time to update the enemies list. Enemies are harder to identify when they come in casual, tech-ish garb, like Google and Uber.
Blog
Activists hold a banner at a vigil hat says "Declare an Emergency." Image: Cathy Crowe
Toronto needs to declare homelessness an emergency to prevent more deaths and suffering
Cathy Crowe | Toronto's Shelter and Housing Justice Network takes an extreme measure and calls for the mayor to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.