It’s Official, we are now CAN-Alliance!
2019-11-18Development Review Process
2020-04-29
Meeting the City on Safety
Meeting 2: January 9th and 16th, 2020
Jan 9: Over the holidays several reports had been lodged to Councillors Wong-Tam regarding groups of tents set up at the Sanctuary and increased incidents of violent behaviour lodged at passersby and people in the park. Parks, Forestry, and Recreation supported reports on violence as well as needles and broken glass in the flower beds and shrubbery.
Sanctuary cited the housing crisis and no space in shelters (especially for couples) as the reason for the encampment. The City acknowledged the housing crisis but informed Sanctuary that the encampments are unacceptable, City Staff to help relocate these individuals and couples to shelters.
Jan 16th: Updates from Sanctuary and City staff, 4 of the 10 individuals are currently still in the encampment. Sanctuary were successful in moving one of the remaining tents to the back but that one tent remains in the front. Over the weekend, the garbage out front became really bad which resulted in Sanctuary bringing in a clean-up crew.
Meeting Results:
- Sanctuary must move tents. Municipal Licensing and Standards indicated encampments are a violation of multiple property standards bylaws
- Shelter, Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) deployed a command centre inside Sanctuary. In coordination with Streets to Homes, SSHA to-date found shelter for individuals and the couples.
- SSHA provides training for Sanctuary staff to help them gain better access to City’s shelter and housing. Also informed them that there are a number of shelters that can accommodate couples.
- Toronto Public Health working with Sanctuary to develop a Code of Conduct for their clients and Downtown East Action Plan helping Sanctuary to develop a long-term strategic plan to improve service delivery and community relations.