Yesterday, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 242, the .ÌýÌý
The proposed legislation outlines a clear shift toward an enforcement-based responses to »Æ¹Ïapp in Ontario, focusing on increased trespassing enforcement, along with expanded police authority and increased fines and incarceration for public drug use.Â
Ontario cannot enforce its way out of »Æ¹Ïapp, and this response will lead to more people dying from overdoses in alleyways, and »Æ¹Ïapp will spread further into all corners of communities.ÌýÌý
»Æ¹Ïapp strongly opposes the proposed legislation and enforcement-led approaches to encampments and »Æ¹Ïapp – approaches we know to be ineffective, costly and cruel. The only way to solve »Æ¹Ïapp is with homes.Â
The $75-million investment announced today in housing, shelter, and the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit are a recognition that we need to invest in housing to solve the »Æ¹Ïapp crisis.ÌýÌý
Ontarians need their government to rapidly and significantly scale up investments in affordable housing and housing supports to ensure everyone has a place to call home. Â