50 COVID-19 outbreaks in Toronto's homeless shelter system, data says
As temperatures dip, Toronto's homeless people find themselves facing an awful choice: stay outside and freeze, or go inside and risk catching COVID-19, advocates say.
Outside, wind chill values dropped to near -30 C, as the City of Toronto issued an Extreme Cold Weather Alert.
But inside, city figures show another danger: the Omicron variant speeding through shelters. There are 50 outbreaks across the shelter system — more than half of all shelters — and there were 401 COVID-19 cases in those outbreaks, and one death, as of Friday.
That’s up from 48 outbreaks a few days ago, as the pandemic piles on to many other challenges homeless people face. The situation was predictable, said one advocate, who said the city’s shelter system should have been more prepared.
“We knew that COVID-19 was going to be coming. We knew that winter was coming. It’s not like any of this should have been a surprise,” said Lorraine Lam, an outreach worker with Sanctuary Toronto.
The City of Toronto said in a statement that it had opened up 26 temporary sites, four warming centres and two respite centres. It said it’s using more than 440 HEPA filters and says it’s on track to provide more than 310,000 N95 masks to people using the system — enough for two weeks.
The shelter system is not the only public service under strain from a surge of COVID-19 — ambulances, public transit, and the hospitals themselves have all been affected.
On Saturday, Engage and Change’s Project Winter Survival shipped out some 3000 survival kits for distribution to those in need.
The kits contain 27 items including hand warmers, sleeping bags, and other items designed to help people navigate extreme cold.
“The harsh elements make it much more challenging for the people out there who don’t have homes and are suffering,” said Staff Sgt. John Stockfish, a Toronto Police officer volunteering his time helping move the 3000 bags into cars, destined to arrive at more than 200 agencies.
Project Winter Survival has been going on for more than two decades — something that its organizers actually wish didn’t happen at all.
“Every year I say this. We don’t want to do this. The solution is long-term housing and supportive services. But we will be here as long as there’s a problem,” said organizer Jody Steinhauer.
Steinhauer estimated there are more than 10,000 homeless people in Toronto. The last homeless count, finished before the pandemic began, counted some 7300 people living inside support services and outside — but there were about 7400 people sleeping in the system as of earlier this week.
The surge is likely due to many people who live outside choosing to avoid the cold — but Tracy Murdoch of Woodgreen Community Services said she is seeing an across the board increase as well.
“I have not seen the homelessness at this rate since the 1980s. People are overdosing. People are dying,” she said.
Scott Mills, a retired Toronto Police officer turned advocate with Invisible People, said he wants people to change the way they understand homelessness, and to find compassion this winter.
“What can we do? Do something little. If you see someone homeless on the street, say hi. Give them some hope,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE NOW Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
BUDGET 2024 Feds cutting 5,000 public service jobs, looking to turn underused buildings into housing
Five thousand public service jobs will be cut over the next four years, while underused federal office buildings, Canada Post properties and the National Defence Medical Centre in Ottawa could be turned into new housing units, as the federal government looks to find billions of dollars in savings and boost the country's housing portfolio.
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
From housing initiatives to a disability benefit, how the federal budget impacts you
From plans to boost new housing stock, encourage small businesses, and increase taxes on Canada’s top-earners, CTVNews.ca has sifted through the 416-page budget to find out what will make the biggest difference to your pocketbook.
Liberals aim to hit the brakes on car theft with new criminal offences
The Liberals are proposing new charges for the use of violence while stealing a vehicle and for links to organized crime, as well as laundering money for the benefit of a criminal organization.
BUDGET 2024 Ottawa police get $50 million to boost security around Parliamentary Precinct
The Ottawa Police Service will receive $50 million in new federal funding over the next five years to "enhance security" around the Parliamentary Precinct.
Liberals to dole out five years worth of carbon rebates to businesses
Small- and medium-sized business owners are set to receive a long-awaited refund from Ottawa, which was holding onto billions of dollars while it sorted out a way to deliver them their carbon pricing rebates.
Feds offer $5B in Indigenous loan guarantees, fall $420B short on infrastructure asks
The federal government is providing up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to help Indigenous communities invest in natural resource and energy products. But when it comes to a promise to close what advocates say is a sprawling Indigenous infrastructure gap, Ottawa is short more than $420 billion.
BREAKING Police to announce arrests in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist
Police say that arrests have been made in connection with a $20-million gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport one year ago.