OPEN INVITATION: EXPOSURE DEATH TOWN HALL
6PM TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15th [ZOOM]
OPEN INVITATION: EXPOSURE DEATH TOWN HALL 6PM TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15th [ZOOM]
An urgent meeting is required for different groups to work together to reduce exposure deaths this winter. Last year, I attended MPP Glover's homelessness workgroup and have yet to find a better public meeting of the minds on this issue in Toronto, so let us meet again and broaden the invite.
Please invite someone from every group you know of that wishes to reduce exposure deaths this winter.
Groups will be asked to:
- state their past successes in reducing winter exposure deaths
- state their opinion of the most practical interventions to reduce exposure deaths
- state their bottlenecks, blockers, and key asks: where other groups could help them the most this week with their chosen intervention(s)
- state what resources they can offer other groups to help attack the problem in time
If you can attend please RSVP by reply to this email and note the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89315103453?pwd=MkQ2NmJsdlh0TTdUWTlGUWpRMC9xZz09 (Password: 666666)
About the Crisis:
During the municipal election, Kevin Clarke was the only person to ask the candidates how to reduce winter deaths -- I recently summarized the problem this way:
"The warming centres are only opened in cold snaps, the increases in shelter capacity are from reducing social distancing in congregate settings. The shelter hotels are closing. This puts us at risk of a covid outbreak."
A recent twitter thread summarizes the numbers:
"According to Homeless Hub, there are 18,000+ people experiencing homelessness a night in Toronto right now. Shelter Hotels announced to close in one month, affecting 251 people, most of whom will be homeless on the street or in shelter again. City of Toronto announces yesterday's winter plan that they will 'add' 230 shelter beds this year (basic math suggests this is not even enough to replace the shelter hotel closure? Let alone not even put a small dent into addressing the deplorable need) But wait there's more! The city will now squish beds closer together. So 500 more spots! (trauma-informed care doesn't apply to homeless folks apparently, they can sleep like sausages again since pandemic = over) In conclusion, no real change, just squished/unsafe capacity. City of Toronto winter plan. The end." I implore you to work together as a coalition of organizations to address this urgent problem. Please let me know how TorCH in collaboration with MPP Glover's office can facilitate this bridge-building, without a high barrier-to-entry such as events like the CAEH. My hope is we establish a weekly meeting to aid groups in coordinating their efforts. Please also take note of these upcoming actions:
1pm November 15th:
11:45am November 22nd:
