The cruelty is the point

[sabotabby]

The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto is $2300 a month.

Homeless shelters are full. Even if you can get in, the conditions are unimaginably horrific (major trigger warnings for that link; I cried when I read it).

Last year, at least 2 homeless people a week died on Toronto's streets.

Against this backdrop, smug country club shitbag and walking sweater vest John Tory ordered a large encampment of homeless people (remember when tent cities were a signifier for dystopian fiction rather than just our daily reality?) in the Rosedale Valley—right next to one of the poshest areas of Toronto—evicted. He claimed that this barbaric, violent act was necessary for "safety" (whose, exactly?) and that the people had been given lots of notice. Fifteen days! I mean, that is not enough time for an employed, currently housed, middle class person to secure a new apartment in Toronto, but I guess all these homeless people didn't, like, consider not being homeless. Maybe next time they should have tried being born with an entire drawer of silver cutlery in their mouths like Mayor Tory was.

Of course, it won't do any good. Unless you actually house people, they're just going to set up another camp and/or move back to the old camp in a few days when the city workers have gone, minus whatever possessions they weren't able to carry with them when they fled the attack.

If you find this act as heinous as I do, you can snail mail:

Office of the Mayor
City Hall, 2nd Floor
100 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

Email: mayor_tory@toronto.ca

Or phone: 416-397-CITY (2489)

to register your utter disgust. Here's some talking points if you need them.

You are more likely to become a homeless person than a millionaire.

Comments

[minoanmiss]

Will mail from beyond the borders help? I have stamps and outrage.

[sabotabby]

I think international outrage is a great thing. One thing that these genteel centrist types don't like is other countries looking down on them.

[ginger_rude]

Thanks, I will too. Yeah, it's fucked here as well. I don't know how we got this numb.

[kore]

Same kind of thing is happening here:

https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2020/01/central-district-tiny-house-village-at-22nd-and-union-has-one-month-to-find-new-home/

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/seven-months-ago-residents-locked-the-city-out-of-their-tiny-house-village-now-seattle-officials-plan-to-cut-its-funding/

It's really terrifying for those of us near the edge of the safety net. A new 1BR apartment here rents for about $2200 I think. Certainly not less than $2000.

[sabotabby]

I saw so many tent cities when I was in Seattle. I visit every few years and the difference between this time and last time was shocking.

[kore]

Yeah, I was out in the light rain yesterday to mail some bullshit IRS papers at the post office, and I saw at least six people sleeping outside -- like, on the cold wet sidewalk, in the rain, bedding getting soaked. And it's supposed to snow this week with record cold temperatures! (minoanmiss's post reminded me donating to warming centres is a good thing....)

[moon_custafer]

Mayor emailed.

[sabotabby]

*high fives you*

[mistersmearcase]

In other jobs I've often had clients tell me they'd rather sleep on the streets than in a shelter. They're awful places.

[sabotabby]

Yeah, that's the case with many people here, but why would the city pay attention to what they have to say?

[franklanguage]

Well, you've probably heard of the NYC homeless culture, and this article from last fall stated that homeless people in New York are still being given thousands of dollars to relocate elsewhere—"anywhere but here."

Winters here aren't as brutal as in Toronto, but people have been known to freeze to death on the street in the winter.

[sabotabby]

I remember growing up when there was one (1) squeegie kid in our town, and everyone lost their shit. I can't imagine relocating goes well for anyone because social services are all in large cities.

[matrixmann]

2300 bucks per month for a single-person-apartment?
How much do they actually expect you to make to NOT end up being homeless?

[sabotabby]

It's impossible. But that's what you get when you hand over rental pricing to landlords, developers, and AirBnB.

[mallorys_camera]

I'm disappointed to learn the homeless situation is as bad in Canada as it is in the States. I'm so used to thinking of Canada as a parallel Utopian universe. 😒

[sabotabby]

I wish people wouldn't think of us like that. We're just as vicious, racist, and founded on genocide, and just as culpable for the climate catastrophe as any other country if not more so.

[ginger_rude]

Yeah, same, though not really surprised.