---------- > From: Cathy Crowe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribers: This is a declaration put out by the Toronto Disaster > Relief committee (committee membership at end of document). We seek > endorsements from across Canada for this statement. I will forward a letter > explaining the endorsement. The release date for our report is October 8 in > the morning at the Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto. I will > post details next week. Cathy Crowe > > > > State of Emergency Declaration > Homelessness: A National Disaster > > We call on all levels of government to declare homelessness a national > disaster requiring emergency humanitarian relief. We urge that they > immediately develop and implement a National Homelessness Relief and > Prevention Strategy using disaster relief funds both to provide the homeless > with immediate health protection and housing and to prevent further > homelessness. > > Canada has signed the International Covenant of Economic, Social and > Cultural Rights guaranteeing everyone's right to "an adequate standard of > living … including adequate food, clothing and housing." Homeless people > have no decent standard of living; our governments are violating this > agreement by neglecting them. > > Despite Canada's reputation for providing relief to people made temporarily > homeless by natural disasters, our governments are unwilling to help the > scores of thousands of people in Canada condemned to homelessness. Morally, > economically, socially, and legally, we cannot allow homelessness to become > "normal" in Canadian life. Inaction betrays many thousands of us to a > miserable existence and harms our society for years to come. > > WHY DECLARE EMERGENCY? > > Disaster Now > q Crisis facilities are already overcrowded. People are ending up in the > streets, parks, and alleyways > q Youth and families with children are the fastest growing population in > shelters > q Major cities search far beyond their boundaries for temporary housing for > homeless families > q Homeless people face poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and increased risk of > violence, communicable diseases and compulsive drug use > q Homelessness causes psychological and emotional pain that can exacerbate > or precipitate agonizing deterioration of mental health > q Prolonged homelessness permanently harms people; ultimately, it can kill > them by exposure, illness, violence or suicide > q Homelessness prevents people from maintaining their health, finding and > keeping work, attending school and exercising their rights as citizens > q Conservative estimates concur that about 200,000 Canadians are homeless > > Worse To Come > q Shelters and other temporary measures provide at best a stopgap. Crowding, > insecurity and the risk of disease or violence means prolonged stays harm > people > q Homelessness is contributing to a developing toxic brew of disease > including HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, > and other communicable infections > q Prolonged homelessness for children harms them for life > q Twenty years of research has shown a continual rise in homelessness, > linked to unemployment, reductions to social assistance, cuts to public > housing and inadequate tenant protection > q Repeated government task forces, other studies, inquests and > recommendations have produced little action, though documenting that the > situation worsens yearly > > Declaring an Emergency > > We urge all levels of government to declare homelessness a national disaster > now, as a first step in implementing a National Homelessness Relief and > Prevention Strategy, both short- and long-term. > > Immediate Short Term Measures > q Governments should reopen and maintain services for the homeless > q All governments should immediately reinstate or establish adequate social > assistance benefits > q All governments should make suitable public buildings available as > emergency shelters or hostels. > q Even parks can serve as temporary refuges with mobile homes, tents, bath > houses and toilets > q Governments should concertedly provide emergency medical relief, including > clinics, outreach, infirmaries, screening and immunization, and public > nutrition and hygiene programs > q Health strategies should especially treat the relationship between > homelessness and severe infectious or communicable diseases such as > HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, and hepatitis > q Governments should grant immediate emergency funding to non-governmental > organizations (churches, charities, non-profit groups, etc.) > > Long-term Measures to be Implemented Now > q Governments should implement a "1 per cent solution": All levels of > government now spend an average 1 per cent of their total budgets on > housing. Adding another 1 per cent, and henceforth devoting the total 2% to > long-term housing, would take the single largest step towards eliminating > homelessness. > q Governments should maintain and fund social benefits and services on a > stable, long-term basis > q Crisis shelters and aid agencies should receive stable, long-term funding > until the homeless are housed > > Clearly, the homeless situation is worsening daily at an alarming rate, as > the factors creating it remain unchecked. Any delay in firmly and massively > responding will only contribute to converting the present crisis of > suffering and death which is already an epidemic which no civilized society > can tolerate. > > > This call for Disaster Relief is made by the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. > > Membership includes: David Hulchanski-Professor of Housing U of T, Trevor > Gray AIDS ACTION NOW, Brent Patterson-AIDS activist, Beric German-Street > Health AIDS outreach, Maurice Adongo&Paula Dolezal-Street Health mental > health outreach, Peter Rosenthal-lawyer for TCAH in 1996 freezing deaths > Inquest, John Andras-co-founder Project Warmth-Vice-President Research > Capital Corp, Cathy Crowe, RN-Queen West CHC street outreach nurse, Rev. Don > (Dan) Heap (Anglican)-former MP Trinity Spadina, Jeannie Loughrey-Anglican > priest Diocese of Toronto, Frank Showler-Member of Board of St. Claire's > Inter-faith Housing, David Walsh-President Realco Property Ltd, Sherrie > Golden-OCAP, Sue Osborne-Housing Support Worker Cornerstone Women's Residence > In the deserts of the heart > Let the healing fountain start (W.H. Auden) > > Cathy Crowe, RN > w: 416-703-8482 (117) > fax: 416-703-6190 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] | |To unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], no subject, with the |following message (and no other text): unsubscribe c4ldemoc-l
