Homelessness and Panhandling in Toronto

[3cp1]

Recently, a young man was stabbed to death by several homeless people on Queen St. West for refusing to give them change. It seems that Miller and company don't want to do anything about the homeless issue, because the number of homeless people continues to increase every year. This could be one of the main reasons the tourism industry is suffering as well.

Maybe it is time to take a look at New York City's policies, because they have been extremely effective at reducing panhandlers, and getting homeless people back on their feet. Giuliani's policies have been attacked by the left, but here is a piece by the left leaning Salon Magazine explaining why these policies have worked so well, and why that's a good thing:

http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2000/01/04/giuliani/index.html

Here's a brief excerpt:

"it's the very programs that have most helped the homeless -- drug testing, work requirements and other programs that help acculturate them into the mainstream -- that make the Coalition for the Homeless and its allies wax hysterical. If you believe their most recent sallies, you'd think that requiring work from able-bodied, mentally healthy people in the city's shelters was the ultimate unspeakable act of a monstrously uncaring city government."

 

[theman23]

I've generally thought of the homeless as rather harmless, so this is surprising to me.

 

[unimaginative2]

The number of homeless in Toronto has absolutely not been increasing every year. What figures do you have to back this up? Since 2003, I have noticed a stunning drop in the number of homeless on the streets in Toronto. There are far, far fewer visible homeless than there were only a few years ago.

 

[spasongs]

My best friend and I had a meeting with Pantelone and a few others from our area. ( Where the stabbing happened). They basically laughed at us when we said the area was becoming very bad for panhandling. It is so bad around King and Straughn that they come and knock on your car windows. Or follow you at the gas pump.

I'm a big guy and not too worried about them, however, my girl hates filling up at the Esso, or using the bank machine there because they all hang around the front. The Police go into Tims everyday and walk right past them.

Who want s that everyday?It is like the night of the living dead.

But the real interesting thing for me is that we had dinner at One of Kind pasta with my Brother and Sisi in Law. Took Niagara home from Queen. And i wondered if they were cool with walking off the beaten path. I was going to tease them about it. But didn't. So it is pretty interesting to see this in the news.

Clearly something needs to be done. THe panhandling drives me nuts, the garbage they leave around drives me bonkers too. I feel bad for the mentally challeneged, so they should be taken back to homes or whatever for their own good. The rest I have nothing for. Drives me nuts seeing able bodied ,young folk begging for money.

But something better be done now though as this news has scared both my girl and my best friends. They should not be afraid to walk to the Esso, or eanywhere for that matter.

BTW, a young man did approach us that night asking for our leftovers... politely. We said no, but upon thinking, he was not asking for money for drugs, booze, and was polite. We ran across the street and gave him the 2 bags. Made us both feel very good as he teared up thanking us.

 

[3cp1]

The number of homeless in Toronto has absolutely not been increasing every year. What figures do you have to back this up? Since 2003, I have noticed a stunning drop in the number of homeless on the streets in Toronto. There are far, far fewer visible homeless than there were only a few years ago.

What figures do you have to back this up?

 

[theman23]

He was speaking from personal experience, so his words are his figures.

 

[3cp1]

He was speaking from personal experience, so his words are his figures.

So was I.

 

[lordmandeep]

in the downtown core along yonge street they have been reduced but there are more in the section mentioned, i believe.

 

[3cp1]

in the downtown core along yonge street they have been reduced but there are more in the section mentioned, i believe.

A lot of the Yonge St. ones migrated over to Church St. Apparently the gay community is getting harassed by them a lot now.

There are definitely more in the west end now too, and this stabbing occurred just west of Bathurst on Queen. Good thing it's west of the boundaries being used by the city to investigate aggressive panhandling:

"On June 1, the city launched a pilot project to probe aggressive panhandling.

Hammond's slaying fell within the project's timeline – which runs until Sept. 30 – but outside its boundaries.

The test area runs east from Spadina Ave. to Jarvis St., and from Yorkville Ave. to Queen's Quay."

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/245532

I guess according to the lefty logic on council, as long as panhandlers aren't aggressive within those boundaries, it's not a problem. So we can expect more of the same and a continuation of the status quo from Miller et al. I guess Toronto needs the equivalent of a Giuliani to do something about the homeless epidemic.

 

[theman23]

Oh come on, that is a silly criticism. It was a pilot project and not a solution to the city wide problem. Your criticism missed the whole point of what a pilot project is. Would you rather they implement these initiatives citywide with taxpayer money without actually testing them out first?

 

[simply Dan]

A lot of the Yonge St. ones migrated over to Church St.

Completely false. Church St. has actually seen a big improvement over the past 2 years.

 

[lordmandeep]

Really a lot of the homeless are gone back to the very depressed area along Dundas street east of Yonge.

 

[3Dementia]

Every nook and cranny on Victoria Street and almost every inch of Metro United hosts the gang.... if you take a walk before 7 am ... it's positively apocalyptic.

 

[Admiral Beez]

So was I.

But your rebuttal comment makes no sense. He's speaking of his experience, nothing more.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Really a lot of the homeless are gone back to the very depressed area along Dundas street east of Yonge.

I can't stand the riff-raff from the Salvation Army shelter who sit all day in the park behind St. James Cathedral. I know, I know it's a public park, but shucks IMO those folks make regular working folks avoid that park, with adds to the problem. It's one of my favourite parks in the city too.