TORONTO -- Homeless advocates are speaking out against the city’s decision to dismantle a homeless encampment in the Rosedale Valley.
Last month, the city confirmed its plans to take down the encampment, located under the Rosedale Bridge, on Jan. 7 due to health and safety concerns.
But a group of homeless advocates say the move puts many living at the encampment at risk.
“There is no justification for these sweeps in the midst of a deadly shortage of shelter space in the city. People are camped outside in the bitter cold because the housing crisis rages on unchecked and the City’s shelter system in overwhelmed,” the group said in an open letter to Mayor John Tory last week.
“Forcibly dismantling homeless encampments- be they under the Gardiner or in the Rosedale Valley- is nothing more than an attempt to make homelessness invisible rather than addressing the problem.”
Speaking to CP24 on Sunday morning, Greg Cook, an outreach worker at Sanctuary, a Christian charity based in downtown Toronto, said many at the camps are worried about where they will go and what will happen to their sleeping bags, tents, and belongings.
“The shelters are full. Even if you have a rental allowance or a housing allowance it is impossible to afford rent in this city so people are forced to camp outside,” he said. “It’s obviously an awful situation.”
But the city contends that the encampments pose health and safety risks and must be removed.
"These decisions are made by our professional City staff and follow an established and longstanding policy,” a statement from the mayor’s office read.
“This policy was created to protect the health and safety of everyone and keep people safe.” City of Toronto spokesperson Brad Ross said crews were called to the Rosedale Valley encampment on Saturday to extinguish a fire.
“Thankfully no one was injured but that may not be the case next time. There is also a danger of fire for the public at large,” he told CP24 on Sunday.
Ross said the city provides 15-days’ notice before clearing the camps and sends outreach workers to the area to build relationships and let people know what services are available to them.
“There is capacity in shelters and respite (centres). We have housing options for them and so we make those referrals. Some accept those referrals, some do not,” he said.
He noted that beds have been set aside for anyone who is displaced when the encampment is cleared.
“It is dangerous. It is unhealthy and we want to make sure people living on the street are safe and healthy and that is why we have all of the services that we offer,” Ross said.
“We are not in the business of trying to simply move people. We want to move them inside where they can be safe and healthy and have longer-term options for housing.”
