Last summer, Toronto completed its first-ever head count of its homeless. Now we know how many homeless there are (we think), but city council is still unable to devise an effective strategy for getting them off the streets. This mayoral campaign has seen incumbent David Miller say that the eventual goal is to provide the homeless with affordable housing. Challenger Jane Pitfield is aggressively pushing to legally prohibit living on the streets and clear Toronto’s sidewalks for pedestrians, including tourists. Our writers ponder how best to address the issue.
Panhandlers pose a problem to Torontonians because they harass innocent pedestrians. This threatening behaviour ranges from yelling at people and making threatening gestures to-in the case of one infamous Church St. panhandler-hugging passersby until they surrender their change out of fear for their safety. The homeless not only sleep in the dumpsters in apartment building parking lots, but they yell and throw garbage at people going to their homes, disturbing those already asleep. Some so-called “homeless” can even be seen sneaking back to their homes after conning people into giving them money.
Living on the street should be illegal, because homelessness inconveniences all of Toronto’s citizens. Building more shelters would be futile, because panhandlers do not wish to use them due to unsafe conditions inside them. More government handouts are also not the solution.
Employment opportunities need to be created for the homeless, who must be taught job skills that will allow them to hold a steady job and meet their housing and survival needs. Many homeless people are unable to find adequate employment, and since an employer cannot contact someone living on the street, panhandlers cannot find work even if they wish to. More effective funding to mental health programs is also required to treat the mentally ill homeless population and enable them to function effectively in society.
-Afshan Makhani
How can the Canadian government carry out its ambitious mission in the streets of Kandahar effectively when it is apparent that our country has not been able to solve the problem of homelessness at home? Mayoral candidate Jane Pitfield has adopted a tough stance on Toronto’s homeless population, and if she is successful in passing legislation that kicks them off the streets, that day will indeed be a sad one. Pitfield’s plan is reminiscent of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s, which attempted to make New York City a more alluring destination for tourists but turned a blind eye to the problem of homelessness.
As homelessness is the fate of many in Toronto, not a choice, it should not be declared illegal. Instead, our governments should consider the causes behind homelessness and devise long-lasting solutions. Such efforts take time, money, and dedication. Why is it that we are spending millions of dollars fighting wars overseas, but not dealing with pressing social and economic problems at home?
Given that Canada is one of the richest and most developed nations in the world, how can we neglect the most vulnerable segment of our society? Rather than seeking permanent legislation that would work towards solving homelessness by providing things like more work opportunities, Pitfield seems interested in proposing a quick-fix solution. Her plan will only result in cosmetic changes to Toronto’s landscape, and lead to the further gentrification of our city.
-Sana Ahmed
Homelessness is a life with no private space. The major cause (and consequence) of homelessness is poverty, and for this reason the homeless must be embraced as part of society. Their inability to afford a particular standard of living should not make them a different class than those with private homes. The government must support all efforts to enable the homeless to pass the night on the streets or in public areas, as long as in so doing they do not interfere with the activities of pedestrians.
Many argue that most homeless people are homeless because of drug addiction or criminal activity. Realistically, many stay on the streets because they are kicked out of their homes, have mental disorders, get laid off work, or simply cannot afford to pay mounting living expenses.
Some people consider homeless people an eyesore on the city landscape, but in fact they add to our city’s unique mosaic. Some of the homeless use their time on the streets to expose their talents, entertaining and serving the public in many ways. Some play musical instruments and entertain pedestrians in exchange for the money needed to survive. Others clean car windows, a useful activity the city council disallowed when it passed the “Safe Streets Act.”
The government provides public shelters for the homeless, but the myth that these reduce the number of people on the streets has been proven false. Many homeless people prefer open public spaces to confined ones. Our parks and streets are open public spaces and all people, homeless or not, must have the right to sleep where they feel safe. If living on the streets will somewhat solve or relieve the financial, mental, or emotional stress in the lives of some of the homeless, then sleeping in the street should be a legal option for them.
-Denzel Mills
