To subscribers:  This is a declaration put out by the Toronto Disaster
Relief committee (committee membership at end of document). We seek
endorsements from across Canada for this statement. I will forward a letter
explaining the endorsement. The release date for our report is October 8 in
the morning at the Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto. I will
post details next week. Cathy Crowe



State of Emergency Declaration
Homelessness:  A National Disaster

We call on all levels of government to declare homelessness a national
disaster requiring emergency humanitarian relief. We urge that they
immediately develop and implement a National Homelessness Relief and
Prevention Strategy using disaster relief funds both to provide the homeless
with immediate health protection and housing and to prevent further
homelessness.

Canada has signed the International Covenant of Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights guaranteeing everyone's right to "an adequate standard of
living … including adequate food, clothing and housing." Homeless people
have no decent standard of living; our governments are violating this
agreement by neglecting them.

Despite Canada's reputation for providing relief to people made temporarily
homeless by natural disasters, our governments are unwilling to help the
scores of thousands of people in Canada condemned to homelessness. Morally,
economically, socially, and legally, we cannot allow homelessness to become
"normal" in Canadian life. Inaction betrays many thousands of us to a
miserable existence and harms our society for years to come.

WHY DECLARE EMERGENCY?

Disaster Now
q Crisis facilities are already overcrowded. People are ending up in the
streets, parks, and alleyways
q Youth and families with children are the fastest growing population in
shelters
q Major cities search far beyond their boundaries for temporary housing for
homeless families
q Homeless people face poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and increased risk of
violence, communicable diseases and compulsive drug use
q Homelessness causes psychological and emotional pain that can exacerbate
or precipitate agonizing deterioration of mental health
q Prolonged homelessness permanently harms people; ultimately, it can kill
them by exposure, illness, violence or suicide
q Homelessness prevents people from maintaining their health, finding and
keeping work, attending school and exercising their rights as citizens
q Conservative estimates concur that about 200,000 Canadians are homeless

Worse To Come
q Shelters and other temporary measures provide at best a stopgap. Crowding,
insecurity and the risk of disease or violence means prolonged stays harm
people 
q Homelessness is contributing to a developing toxic brew of disease
including HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases,
and other communicable infections
q Prolonged homelessness for children harms them for life
q Twenty years of research has shown a continual rise in homelessness,
linked to unemployment, reductions to social assistance, cuts to public
housing and inadequate tenant protection
q Repeated government task forces, other studies, inquests and
recommendations have produced little action, though documenting that the
situation worsens yearly

Declaring an Emergency

We urge all levels of government to declare homelessness a national disaster
now, as a first step in implementing a National Homelessness Relief and
Prevention Strategy, both short- and long-term.

Immediate Short Term Measures
q Governments should reopen and maintain services for the homeless
q All governments should immediately reinstate or establish adequate social
assistance benefits
q All governments should make suitable public buildings available as
emergency shelters or hostels. 
q Even parks can serve as temporary refuges with mobile homes, tents, bath
houses and toilets
q Governments should concertedly provide emergency medical relief, including
clinics, outreach, infirmaries, screening and immunization, and public
nutrition and hygiene programs
q Health strategies should especially treat the relationship between
homelessness and severe infectious or communicable diseases such as
HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, and hepatitis
q Governments should grant immediate emergency funding to non-governmental
organizations (churches, charities, non-profit groups, etc.)

Long-term Measures to be Implemented Now
q Governments should implement a "1 per cent solution": All levels of
government now spend an average 1 per cent of their total budgets on
housing. Adding another 1 per cent, and henceforth devoting the total 2% to
long-term housing, would take the single largest step towards eliminating
homelessness.
q Governments should maintain and fund social benefits and services on a
stable, long-term basis
q Crisis shelters and aid agencies should receive stable, long-term funding
until the homeless are housed

Clearly, the homeless situation is worsening daily at an alarming rate, as
the factors creating it remain unchecked.  Any delay in firmly and massively
responding will only contribute to converting the present crisis of
suffering and death which is already an epidemic which no civilized society
can tolerate.


This call for Disaster Relief is made by the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. 

Membership includes: David Hulchanski-Professor of Housing U of T, Trevor
Gray AIDS ACTION NOW, Brent Patterson-AIDS activist, Beric German-Street
Health AIDS outreach, Maurice Adongo&Paula Dolezal-Street Health mental
health outreach, Peter Rosenthal-lawyer for TCAH in 1996 freezing deaths
Inquest, John Andras-co-founder Project Warmth-Vice-President Research
Capital Corp, Cathy Crowe, RN-Queen West CHC street outreach nurse, Rev. Don
(Dan) Heap (Anglican)-former MP Trinity Spadina, Jeannie Loughrey-Anglican
priest Diocese of Toronto, Frank Showler-Member of Board of St. Claire's
Inter-faith Housing, David Walsh-President Realco Property Ltd, Sherrie
Golden-OCAP, Sue Osborne-Housing Support Worker Cornerstone Women's Residence
In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountain start  (W.H. Auden)

Cathy Crowe, RN
w: 416-703-8482 (117)
fax: 416-703-6190
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