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Homelessness and Panhandling in Toronto

We do need to change what we are doing and start institutionalizing the most dangerous people. The practice of locking them away was discontinued mostly because of cost and not because a lack of liberties - but I'm sure the cost of homelessness and increased violence may be higher.

The problem with the hospitals in the 50's and 60's is that they were grim places, not well funded, inadequate, understaffed and dangerous.

I'm not saying that we should go back to locking people away, but somewhere there should be a balance. Right now many mentally ill are roaming the streets getting into trouble and spend half their lives in jail for stupid crimes. Is this any better?

In the UK for example they do lock people away for their own safety. It is called sectioning and runs from 24 hours observation to permanent sectioning for their own good and that of the public.
 
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I agree that more than a few people living on the streets have mental issues. I see it a lot in the area where I work. That being said, I still take offense that it's a *choice* that these people live on the streets.

The only examples I can think of are those inviduals who have had bad experiences with shelters and thus some would rather take their chances on the street.

But if you would rather live on the street, struggling to survive from day to day and knowing you're going to die an earlier death just tells me this person has a mental problem. No one in their right mind chooses to live on the street if they had the option of having a decent, secure place to live especially if they can call it their own.

I would agree with the assessment that it's through their choices that might have led to them ending up being homeless though if you have a low income and lose that income and cannot pay the rent and you can't move in with someone, what then?.

From what I understand, once you end up on the street, it is extremely difficult to get off them. This is what I keep reading over the years. And who's feeding the homeless prompting someone here to post that the homeless in Toronto are "well fed and no one is starving"?

Who's feeding the homeless, regular 3 healthy meals a day? Where are they getting these meals on a daily basis?
 
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The worst is seeing them sleeping in subway entrances or ATM rooms. TTC does not do a good job policing their entrances. I have seen, at Yonge and Eglinton (south east corner) people living in that stairwell to the subway, fairly regularly (looks like every day now). Either TTC is washing their hands of it saying it's the office building's responsibility, or the TTC is just negligent. They're threatening, and dirty, usually with a big dog as well.
 
origin said:
They're threatening, and dirty, usually with a big dog as well.
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Threatening? How are they *threatening* ? Do they look threatening or are they intentionally trying to intimidate people walking by?

Homeless with dogs are just trying to tug on the emtional string to guilt people into giving cash. This doesn't work with me because I recognize the tactic being used and have no time for someone supposedly down on their luck, without a means to support themselves but they somehow can afford a pet.

The dogs are just tools for these people. Much like Jevoh Witnesses on the streets preaching with kids or the odd person over the years panhandling with some kid present.

And people feel threatened mostly because of the appearance of individuals.
It's called being paranoid.... I use to get this all the time when I was younger and had long hair.
 
I'm surprised no one has brought up the disappearance of borading houses as a cause for this increase in visible homelessness (i.e. sleeping on the streets, in bus shelters, etc.). There are a lot of problems with boarding houses and what they do for the surrounding area, but at least they provide people in need with a cheap and independent place to spend the night.
 
lesouris said:
I'm surprised no one has brought up the disappearance of borading houses as a cause for this increase in visible homelessness (i.e. sleeping on the streets, in bus shelters, etc.). There are a lot of problems with boarding houses and what they do for the surrounding area, but at least they provide people in need with a cheap and independent place to spend the night.
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there are 2 or 3 on almost every street in parkdale
 
drone said:
there are 2 or 3 on almost every street in parkdale
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IIRC, there was a major crackdown on unsafe, and usually illegal, rooming houses in the 90's after a series of fires left several people dead. I am quite certain there are less than half in the city now as there were at that time, including in Parkdale.


Here's a timely article on this topic
 
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it's a national problem

Perhalps we could at least agree that a policy of concentrating the homeless in downtown Toronto - by virtue of concentrating services for them there - isn't consistent with building a productive and successful city.
 
Jonny5 said:
IIRC, there was a major crackdown on unsafe, and usually illegal, rooming houses in the 90's after a series of fires left several people dead. I am quite certain there are less than half in the city now as there were at that time, including in Parkdale.


Here's a timely article on this topic
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oh, they are not illegal. They are called unregulated boarding homes. They may not be the same thing as rooming houses, but, essentially they are the same.Low to no supervision. There may be less than there was in the 90's, but, I know for a fact there are 6 Tyndall avenue alone.
 
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Jonny5 said:
IIRC, there was a major crackdown on unsafe, and usually illegal, rooming houses in the 90's after a series of fires left several people dead. I am quite certain there are less than half in the city now as there were at that time, including in Parkdale.
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The 90s ended ten years ago. Surely we can't blame that for a recent increase in homelessness?
 
it's money. The city and ontario give less $$ to fund low cost/mental health housing....most money goes into addictions and consumer groups.
 
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