Homelessness on GTA Transit (catch all)

[gabe]

Despite what you read around here and elsewhere from certain posters, it's pretty well-established that the rate of homelessness in a city is closely linked with rent prices. Unless you think that more expensive cities just happen to have much higher rates of mental health and addiction issues than cheaper cities.

When i lost my job about ten years ago, i got a crappy factory job for six months. That's what paid my rent. My boyfriend around the same time, worked as a bag boy at Metro, when he was in between jobs. Do that today with rent prices you still won't have enough money for rent. That's if you can find a job. So many low skilled/entry level jobs have been taken by international "students"

 

[sixrings]

When i lost my job about ten years ago, i got a crappy factory job for six months. That's what paid my rent. My boyfriend around the same time, worked as a bag boy at Metro, when he was in between jobs. Do that today with rent prices you still won't have enough money for rent. That's if you can find a job. So many low skilled/entry level jobs have been taken by international "students"

Were supposed to keep low skilled entry level jobs vacant in case long time Canadians lose their actual job and need a place to work for 6 months?!

That’s your plan?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Were supposed to keep low skilled entry level jobs vacant in case long time Canadians lose their actual job and need a place to work for 6 months?!

That’s your plan?

Actually I would prioritize policies that favour citizens and landed immigrant access to jobs anyday over international students - who aren't even supposed to be working anywhere near full time hours in the first place; or temporary foreign workers. It makes no sense to have citizens who are ready, willing and able to work squeezed out of the workforce and end up on social assistance.

AoD

 

[sixrings]

Actually I would prioritize policies that favour citizens and landed immigrant access to jobs anyday over international students - who aren't even supposed to be working anywhere near full time hours in the first place; or temporary foreign workers. It makes no sense to have citizens who are ready, willing and able to work squeezed out of the workforce and end up on social assistance.

AoD

I don’t think the majority of Canadians who lose their jobs are going to magically be able to pay their mortgage or rent by working at Tim Hortons. If mortgages or rent was that cheap we wouldn’t be having a lot of these problems.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I don’t think the majority of Canadians who lose their jobs are going to magically be able to pay their mortgage or rent by working at Tim Hortons. If mortgages or rent was that cheap we wouldn’t be having a lot of these problems.

Mortgage, not likely; but rent? I am sure having a room is better than on the street - which is what we are seeing happening now. Government has a fundamental duty to prioritize the well-being of our citizens over those who aren't. Failure to do so breeds extremism and social instability. Also the presence of a cheap, easily exploitable supply of labour depresses wages - which is part and parcel of the problem.

AoD

 

[Bojaxs]

Was off work today and bored, so I decided to go check out some GO construction. Got off at Union and rode Line 1 to Bloor-Yonge. I don't live in Toronto and don't often ride the subway, but it sure seemed to me that there were more homeless than usual. It made for an unpleasant experience. I had to put myself between some female riders and a homeless guy who was making them uncomfortable. The homeless guy and I talked until I got to my stop. Thankfully the ladies got off with me. They expressed how thankful they were that I got between them and the homeless guy.

Eastbound, Line 2 wasn't as bad. Seemed to get better the closer we got to Kennedy. Only 1 person panhandling. She got on at one stop and then off at the next.

I was glad to take the Stouffville train back to Union. Line 1 is becoming a bit of a mad house.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Was off work today and bored, so I decided to go check out some GO construction. Got off at Union and rode Line 1 to Bloor-Yonge. I don't live in Toronto and don't often ride the subway, but it sure seemed to me that there were more homeless than usual. It made for an unpleasant experience. I had to put myself between some female riders and a homeless guy who was making them uncomfortable. The homeless guy and I talked until I got to my stop. Thankfully the ladies got off with me. They expressed how thankful they were that I got between them and the homeless guy.

Eastbound, Line 2 wasn't as bad. Seemed to get better the closer we got to Kennedy. Only 1 person panhandling. She got on at one stop and then off at the next.

I was glad to take the Stouffville train back to Union. Line 1 is becoming a bit of a mad house.

And the cold weather in the morning made it spike - this winter is going to be super rough.

AoD

 

[Bojaxs]

And the cold weather in the morning made it spike - this winter is going to be super rough.

AoD

I got on around 3pm. So I don't think it had anything to do with the morning cold. But yes, the cold weather is going to make the situation worst. The homeless guy I was talking with told me he got his cheque today for $40 and I overheard two other homeless guys behind me talk about how they each got their cheques as well. So maybe a bunch of them were heading to the banks to cash their government issued, cheques and I just happened to get on the train at the wrong time.

The worst part was the smell. That musty, dirty laundry smell. And the train was crowded. So there was no escaping it.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I got on around 3pm. So I don't think it had anything to do with the morning cold. But yes, the cold weather is going to make the situation worst. The homeless guy I was talking with told me he got his cheque today for $40 and I overheard two other homeless guys behind me talk about how they each got their cheques as well. So maybe a bunch of them were heading to the banks to cash their cheques and I just happened to get on the train at the wrong time.

The worst part was the smell. That musty, dirty laundry smell.

I am up fairly early and I noticed a certain amount of presence on the TTC from Union at around 7. And yes the smell - the lack of hygiene can't be healthy - there was this one gentleman on the subway train maybe a few weeks ago whose shins/calves was a shade of red that screams cellulitis, coupled with a really purulent smell...

AoD

 

[Bojaxs]

I am up fairly early and I noticed a certain amount of presence on the TTC from Union at around 7. And yes the smell - the lack of hygiene can't be healthy - there was this one gentleman on the subway train maybe a few weeks ago whose shins/calves was a shade of red that screams cellulitis, coupled with a really purulent smell...

AoD

I saw kids on the train and worry about their exposure to such things. It could potentially traumatize them. On the flip side, it'll hopefully scare them from ever wanting to do such drugs. Showing them the harsh realities of life at an early age will hopefully set them on the straight & narrow as they get older.

If I were a father, I would make sure to always position myself between my kids and the vagrants.

 

[lowtrain]

Mortgage, not likely; but rent? I am sure having a room is better than on the street - which is what we are seeing happening now. Government has a fundamental duty to prioritize the well-being of our citizens over those who aren't. Failure to do so breeds extremism and social instability. Also the presence of a cheap, easily exploitable supply of labour depresses wages - which is part and parcel of the problem.

AoD

Even when renting you just have to have a backup plan for what happens when you lose a job (money stashed away, being able to move back with family or share a place with friends, moving to a lower cost of living place etc). It's not the governments responsibility to protect jobs at all costs, it's your responsibility to make sure your skills and experience are valuable in the job market.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Even when renting you just have to have a backup plan for what happens when you lose a job (money stashed away, being able to move back with family or share a place with friends, moving to a lower cost of living place etc). It's not the governments responsibility to protect jobs at all costs, it's your responsibility to make sure your skills and experience are valuable in the job market.

What "skills" are so valuable in the general service job market that a significant chunk of the unemployed in the country didn't have - to the point where it justifies the mass introduction of imported, unskilled labour as a government policy? The bit about saving money for backup plans and moving to lower cost jurisdiction sounds like a distinctively upper middle-class response to the challenges facing the poor.

AoD

 

[gabe]

What "skills" are so valuable in the general service job market that a significant chunk of the unemployed in the country didn't have - to the point where it justifies the mass introduction of imported, unskilled labour as a government policy? The bit about saving money for backup plans and moving to lower cost jurisdiction sounds like a distinctively upper middle-class response to the challenges facing the poor.

AoD

The only labour shortage is in skill trades and doctors/nursers. Horton's/Walmart/ amazon fulfillment centres..etc. Are making billions and don't pay enough wages and benefits for Canadians to live on. But lucky for them, the Government allowed them to bring in cheap foreign labour to fill in the holes. It's sickening.

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

I haven’t seen much discussion about just how different the homeless problem is now than it was in the past.

Fentanyl is the elephant in the room and until a) the supply can be significantly hampered OR b) we have a fully funded rehabilitation system with mandatory(!) treatment, people will continue to fall through the cracks.

We can hand out housing like candy but if we do not have a rehab system that is supported by the courts and has institutional permanence equivalent to the Bank of Canada (meaning: this system will have to survive election cycles and politicization), the cycle of addiction, homelessness, and decreased public safety will continue.

 

[sixrings]

The only labour shortage is in skill trades and doctors/nursers. Horton's/Walmart/ amazon fulfillment centres..etc. Are making billions and don't pay enough wages and benefits for Canadians to live on. But lucky for them, the Government allowed them to bring in cheap foreign labour to fill in the holes. It's sickening.

Don’t these companies have to pay the international students minimum wage. If so how are these companies saving money?