Thread by @TheAJWithers

Rapid Fact Check
The City of Toronto put out this press release early this morning.
Not surprisingly, it is full of lies and misleading statements.
Here is a quick breakdown:
toronto.ca/news/city-of-t…

LIE: “In 2020, Toronto Fire Services responded to 253 fires in encampments.”
It was “fire events” which include false alarms and pre-fire conditions.
factchecktoronto.ca/2021/06/07/enc…

Misleading/LIE: “As of June 21, there have been 114 fire incidents at encampments this year, including nine in the past week.” This includes false alarms. False alarms are the antithesis of “incidents.”

MISLEADING: “City parks must also be safe and accessible to all residents of Toronto.”
These are not oppositional.

MISLEADING: “The City will restore its parks while also helping as many people who are willing to accept the City’s offers of support.” People are willing to accept HOUSING – not institutional shelter settings. Housing isn’t on offer.

MISLEADING: “Since mid-December 2020 the City has opened 244 new affordable and supportive homes, including 100 modular housing units.” A) a few units mostly unavailable to park residents is a red herring B) some of these are repaired units - not new
factchecktoronto.ca/2021/02/06/389…

MISLEADING: “Currently, there are 82 projects in the City’s affordable rental development pipeline, which will create 10,676 new permanently affordable rental homes once completed.” A) housing down the road is just PR and does noting now

B) the city defines affordable as entirely unaffordable for people on social assistance.

MISLEADING: “And over the next 12 months, the City is aiming to make at least 1,248 new permanent affordable and supportive housing opportunities ready for occupancy. This includes 798 net new affordable and supportive rental homes under the HousingTO action plan.” See above

MISLEADING: “When a person chooses to live in supportive housing, they have a warm, safe place to call home… can begin to heal from the damage caused by living outside” A) Supportive housing is not on offer

B) The City says supportive housing is the only solution for this entire population because it has pathologized all “chronic” homeless people. There is a housing crisis - people need housing and need help getting it. Not everyone needs and wants supportive housing.

MISLEADING/LIE: “The City’s response to encampments takes into consideration the health and well-being of those living outside.” The City’s response takes it in consideration in the sense that they thought about it and paternalistically decided what is best for people

The City decided violent dispossession is best for people. Violence, even when it is an instrumental violence (it is “for their own good”) is never best for people.

It does not actually and meaningfully consider people’s health and well-being from their perspective, it does not consider their voices, their desires, their human rights.
make-the-shift.org/wp-content/upl…

LIE: “The City has an interdivisional response to encampments and will enforce bylaws at encampments after exhausting all options to help people move from encampments to safer, indoor spaces.” Meaningful consultation hasn't occurred. Housing hasn't been offered. There are options

MISLEADING: “Space remains available for all those living in encampments in the City’s shelters and its hotel program.” Implies there's space in the shelter system. There isn’t. The City routinely turns people away to keep space open for violent evictions.
factchecktoronto.ca/2021/03/21/pat…

MISLEADING: “There are more than 6,000 shelter spaces in the city today.” A) There are fewer spaces than before the pandemic.
factchecktoronto.ca/2020/12/23/cla…

B) The City is routinely turning people away from shelter
factchecktoronto.ca/2021/05/18/she…

MISLEADING: “There are no current outbreaks in the City’s shelter system.” There are no shelter outbreaks but COVID cases are still rising

https://twitter.com/ShelterWatchTO/status/1407312482717339648

MISLEADING: “Almost 1,700 people staying in encampments have been referred to safe inside spaces since April 2020.” Referrals aren’t moves. According to a Dec. report, 956 of 1,100 people from encampments the City says it helped move inside moved inside.
factchecktoronto.ca/2020/12/21/cla…

MISLEADING: “The City has budgeted to spend $663.2 million on homelessness services and housing supports in 2021, almost double the amount spent in 2019 at $365.8 million.” The City refused to implement full social distancing. B/c cost? It only did so after being sued.

#TOpoli
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@gordperks
@BradMBradford
@m_layton
@JoshMatlow
@cllrainslie
@PaulaFletcherTO
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@TorontoStar
@globeandmail
@nowtoronto
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Analysis and opinion my own.

MISLEADING: "City and partner agency staff have engaged more than 20,000 times with people living outside." Building off @zoedodd, if encounters were from Apr 15 '20-June 15 '21, that is 48 a day or less than 5/day over 10 staff for the whole city.

https://twitter.com/cityoftoronto/status/1407333176448536584

Between Parks Ambassadors, Streets to Homes, partner agencies, Toronto Fire Services and possibly others, it is a lot of staff. Even without fire, it is more than 10 staff. That means in all of Toronto, there were less way than 5 encounters a day. 20 staff = 2.4 encounters/day