Homeless

Sat, 2020-01-18 18:00

Michael Moriarity

I hope we all agree on this subject. It seems obvious to me that even if it would cost more, it is our responsibility as a society to provide some sort of housing for every person.

Sat, 2020-01-18 22:49

#3

JKR

Isn't Finland a member of the EU?

Sun, 2020-01-19 02:11

(Reply to #3) #4

bekayne

JKR wrote:

Isn't Finland a member of the EU?

Why, yes it is.

Sun, 2020-01-19 02:38

(Reply to #4) #5

JKR

bekayne wrote:

JKR wrote:

Isn't Finland a member of the EU?

Why, yes it is.

That's funny, according to some, the UK has to leave the EU in order to establish these kinds of socialist programs! Something tells me that after Brexit the UK is not going to establish a housing program that meets the standards of Finland.

Sun, 2020-01-19 10:08

(Reply to #5) #6

NDPP

bekayne]</p> <p>[quote=JKR wrote:

Isn't Finland a member of the EU?

Why, yes it is.

[quote=NDPP]

France too.

Sun, 2020-01-19 10:16

#7

NDPP

Keeping Homeless Families Homeless By Force

https://twitter.com/JohnOCAP/status/1218897554693328896

"We live in a society where the greatest robberies and the most violent crimes are perfectly legal..."

Sun, 2020-01-19 10:32

#8

iyraste1313

What´s remarkable to me is that the source of the problem of homelesness, the high cost of housing vs. low wages, which is the direct effect of the Central bank system of asset inflation. Finance Capitalism! is completely ignored by everyone.

Is this planned? or just the natural effect of the high dosage of contaminants via our drugs (medicines and pharmacists and doctors ad nauseum) and chemical food ingestions?

Sun, 2020-01-19 12:22

#9

NDPP

Homelessness And Housing Problems Reach Crisis Point in All EU Countries - Except Finland

https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2017/mar/21/homelessness-hou...

"A European housing body has warned that homelessness and exclusion from housing has reached crisis point in the majority of countries in the EU..."

Sun, 2020-01-19 14:21

(Reply to #9) #10

JKR

NDPP wrote:

Homelessness And Housing Problems Reach Crisis Point in All EU Countries - Except Finland

Maybe one of the reasons Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson led Brexit was to lower homelessness in the UK?!?!?!?!?!?

Maybe the EU should be notified that Finland has the best social housing program in the world! How could the EU have failed to crush Finland's program?!?!?!?!?

Sun, 2020-01-19 19:58

#11

NDPP

Toronto's Shelter Scandal

https://twitter.com/cathyacrowe/status/1217991491450277891

"A homeless mother reports atrocious living conditions at the Lido Motel, one of Toronto's subsidized properties used to accommodate shelter-system overflow. Bedbugs, drug abuse and hell..."

Perhaps Harry and Meghan can visit?

Mon, 2020-01-20 15:57

(Reply to #11) #12

Aristotleded24

JKR wrote:
bekayne wrote:

JKR wrote:

Isn't Finland a member of the EU?

Why, yes it is.

That's funny, according to some, the UK has to leave the EU in order to establish these kinds of socialist programs! Something tells me that after Brexit the UK is not going to establish a housing program that meets the standards of Finland.

Currently in Finland, the euro-skeptic True Finns are leading in the public opinion polls, with the governing social democrats having collapsed to third place. I believe a key reason is that they have taken a bold stance on progressive taxation, while the rest of their proposed public policy programme is atrotious. How does a party like this move from fringe level support to contending for government so fast? Where to the social democrats stand on the issue of fair taxation?

People hate the EU. The left needs to understand that and speak to those legitimate concerns and stop writing off euro-skepticism as racist and xenophobic. You have racist and xenophobic parties in Europe who are correct in their analysis of why the EU doesn't work, but who use foreigners and immigration as scapegoats. If the left does not speak to these concerns, the racists and xenophobes will win.

Mon, 2020-01-20 16:05

#13

Sean in Ottawa

Worth pointing out that despite speaking about problems with the cost of housing, most municipalities tax housing including the lowest cost housing available to the most marginal people who might still be able to get it. A major part of the problem of affordable housing is the regressive nature of municipal taxes. In Canada the mill rate for determining taxes has apartment retners paying more than residential houses occupied by owner. Most people renting do not realize how much property tax they pay.

this is not the only problem but it is significant.

Income support is the another part of this.

Mental health and addiction services is another. This part is important as many people lose housing for income reasons and then once they are on the street become hard to house becuase there they develop severe mental health and addiction issues that make a resolution to the income problem (if at all possible) still not a path to housing. On the other hand you have people losing their housing due to mental health and addiction issues without any support before they become homeless. It is worth noting that homelessness is increasing among people who did not have mental health or addiction issues before they became homeless.

Sun, 2020-01-26 13:28

#14

NDPP

Housing is a Human Right: How Finlad is Eradicating Homelessness (and audio)

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/housing-is-a-human-right-how-f...

"I think that it demands politicians who have an understanding of human dignity. It doesn't require more."

The Finnish expert expressed shock and alarm at seeing the numbers of those sleeping on street grates in downtown Toronto, in a country as wealthy as Canada. .Always interesting to observe this disconnect between Canadian national mythologies of benevolence and caring, vs actual realities of barbarism and indifference.

Fri, 2021-05-14 02:31

#15

NDPP

Just Imagine...

https://twitter.com/NaheedD/status/1392536864498802701

"Today, our palliative care team saw a terminally ill man experiencing homelessness. He was shocked to meet health care workers who cared enough to visit him on the streets. Imagine the trauma a person has experienced to feel they aren't deserving of compassion..."

Not difficult to imagine in TO unfortunately.

Fri, 2021-05-14 02:52

#16

JKR

Where in Canada would it not be imaginable?

Tue, 2021-05-25 18:26

#17

kropotkin1951

Here is an interesting take on a short pilot program in Vancouver trying to help people get out of homelessness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4jm0Fs8GrA

Thu, 2021-06-24 14:26

#18

NDPP

Cathy Crowe: Eviction at Trinity Bellwoods repeats History

https://t.co/g2u19jHMTV

"Why do police with guns come to remove people who can't afford housing?"

Tue, 2021-07-20 16:13

#19

NDPP

Encampment Evictions Underway at Alexandra Park by City of Toronto. Press Access Denied (Thread & vids)

https://twitter.com/Diane_C_McNally/status/1417470579217682432

"Volunteers being thrown out of the kettling cage. How will residents inside be supported to move? Will they be in there alone with police and security?"

Thu, 2021-07-22 11:32

#20

NDPP

The militarized assault on Toronto's homeless people continues

https://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/cathy-crowes-blog/2021/07/militarized-a...

"In the words of an encampment resident today: 'This is just the mayor being a bully, to seniors, to women, to the handicapped. Where does he think people will go?"

Chaos erupts again as Toronto officials, officers clear homeless encampment (radio)

https://twitter.com/Diana_C_McNally/status/1418198641932701697

[email protected]

Vote him out!

Thu, 2021-07-22 15:16

#21

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

We here in Montreal have been having an increasingly worse housing crisis sinced the 1990's. There's a lot of construction going on but they are ALL condos. Affordable housing has been promised by the City and the Feds.Plante and the Liberals lied. Go figure

We will NEVER attain the programs Finland has in place. No chance.

Let's lynch all the developers.

I remeber back in the 70's and 80's that the homeless populatiuon was much smaller than it is today and concentrasted in one part of town. Now you have people living in cardboard boxes in residential areas such as Lasalle.

It's rampant and out of control. We keep screaming for action and nothing has progressed since the mid 90's.

Fri, 2021-07-23 02:35

#22

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

BTW...There is NO excuse for ANYBODY in a first world country like Canada live a third world existance

Sun, 2021-07-25 19:02

#23

NDPP

Update on Lamport Stadium arrests from ESN Parkdale (thread)

https://twitter.com/ESNLTO/status/1419283997067206659

"Many of those arrested have reported being treated badly by the police, including a person who uses a wheelchair..."

Mon, 2021-07-26 11:13

#24

NDPP

Encampment Evictions: Another Face of Colonial Violence in Canada

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/7/20/encampment-evictions-anothe...

"The gross display of state aggression at Trinity Bellwoods was preceded by recent evictions at several other encampment sites across Toronto, and more evictions are planned for the days and weeks to come: a crystallisation of the multiple layers of violence involved in sustaining settler control over Indigenous land.

Toronto was first 'purchased' by the British in 1787, by a contract in which no property boundaries were specified and the signatures of the chiefs who 'sold' it were stuck on from a separate piece of paper: a legal facade for land theft, mirrored in various forms across the country that now calls itself Canada.

Sleeping in a park is illegal 'trespass' - but Canada occupying Indigenous lands is legal 'sovereignty'..."

Fri, 2021-07-30 19:25

#25

NDPP

Hamilton Encampment Support Network (and vid)

https://twitter.com/HamOntESN/status/1421165205036404737

UPDATE: "The eviction will NOT be taking place today. There have been violations of the encampment protocol and the defence line today has put eviction plans on a hard pause. Thank you to EVERYONE that came today and successfully defended the space, we keep us safe!"

Continue to support the homeless in any way you can. You may be next. Power to the people!

Fri, 2023-01-13 11:17

#26

NDPP

Cathy Crowe: Emergency Shelters - Is this as good as it gets?

https://rabble.ca/columnists/emergency-shelters-is-this-as-good-as-it-gets/

"Crowded congregate shelters, where people may be sleeping on cots or mats, not even real beds. People including seniors, people with disabilities, families - stuck there for years.

Canada has stalled, in fact rear-ended any momentum it had to reinstate a national housing program that would build sufficient social housing..."

But billions for Ukraine, American fighter-jets etc. And how much are we paying these pig politicians that serve only themselves?

Fri, 2023-01-13 13:29

#27

JKR

How much is Russia spending to bomb and occupy Ukraine and commit genocide against them?

Fri, 2023-01-13 16:54

(Reply to #27) #28

kropotkin1951

JKR wrote:

How much is Russia spending to bomb and occupy Ukraine and commit genocide against them?

If only Putin had not invaded Ukraine I am sure some of his military budget would be available to fix Canada's homeless problem. Neo-con militarists love an excuse to not spend on social programs and far prefer to buy weapons from the arms manufacturers. The new game in town is we not only need to buy weapons for our own armed forces to project power beyond our bordered but we need to also buy arms for other countries. Ready Aye Ready to serve the imperial war machine.

Fri, 2023-01-13 17:02

#29

JKR

I think we have more than enough money to solve our housing problems. Bringing in Ukraine was only a red herring to support Putin's aggression.

Fri, 2023-01-13 17:41

#30

Webgear

If we didn't send the UN and other countries 5 billion dollars last year, we could have used that money on the homeless.

Fri, 2023-01-13 18:13

(Reply to #30) #31

kropotkin1951

JKR wrote:

I think we have more than enough money to solve our housing problems. Bringing in Ukraine was only a red herring to support Putin's aggression.

I think that war is expensive and Canada has far worse social problems from the lack of affordable housing than we have seen in the five decades I have been paying attention. Our facade of a democracy is functioning as expected and while politicians dither over policy our mostly unfettered corporations run rough shod over the economy and various peoples who get in their way. If we controlled our elite we would have lots of capital for societal ills but that kind of control was not built into our constitution which was primarily a corporate founding document for a subordinate vassal state in the Home Office led Commonwealth.

Tue, 2023-07-18 07:22

#32

NDPP

Can't Afford The Rent: Rental Wages in Canada 2022

https://policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/cant-afford-rent

"This study examines the gap between the minimum wage and what it costs to rent an apartment in Canada.

Canada has average rents that far exceed what workers earn on the minimum wage."

Canadians are taking to the streets in large numbers. Unfortunately, not because the housing situation demands such concerted pressure for immediate governmental action at all levels, but because they can't afford their rent anymore.

Thu, 2023-07-20 14:19

#33

NDPP

ESN Parkdale: Urgent Action!

https://twitter.com/ESNParkdale/status/1681663823407730694

"A member of Encampment Support Network Parkdale has been held in jail since yesterday morning for supporting residents of the Lamport Stadium encampment.

On June 23, organizer Alykhan Pabani was issued this unjust and unconstitutional trespass warning [by Toronto City Manager, Paul Johnston] "

Billions for proxy war in Ukraine - catastrophic homelessness in Toronto. Persecution-as-prosecution of activists. Hello Olivia Chow!

[email protected]

Thu, 2023-08-10 22:06

#34

NDPP

Renters vs BnB 'Hosts' in Toronto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq-50s0Btxg

The National: Conversations @22:50

Profits over people's housing.

Wed, 2023-08-30 04:14

#35

NDPP

Jagmeet Singh's Wife is Now A Landlord

https://twitter.com/DavideMastracci/status/1694689715868316123

"This means 4/5 major parties in Canadian politics (Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Greens) are led by someone invested in real-estate directly or through their spouses."