May 19th, 2021

Ford's failure to address housing crisis, poverty, puts people experiencing homelessness in greater danger

TORONTO — Spadina—Fort York MPP Chris Glover made the following statement in response to the dismantling of an encampment near Lamport Stadium:

"Everyone deserves a safe place to live. The Ford government cancelled a rent freeze, scrapped an increase to minimum wage, froze Ontario Works, and cut planned mental health and addictions funding by more than $330 million.

Ford failed to address an affordable housing crisis that the pandemic has only intensified. He has thrown fuel on the fire by refusing to provide Ontarians with rent supports or ban evictions clearly and completely.

The homelessness crisis being experienced in communities all over Ontario, and today's events in Toronto, were 25 years in the making. Until 1995, we were building 15,000 affordable housing units in Toronto per year. Since then, almost no affordable housing has been built. Today's crisis is not an anomaly; this is the predictable result of government policies that have failed to ensure that everyone has a home and the supports they need to maintain that home.

The province must urgently get to work providing affordable housing and supportive housing. And it must ensure Ontario’s most vulnerable residents have access to the safety, dignity and supports we all need and deserve."