Ford must help shelters and food banks as cities face humanitarian crisis: NDP

TORONTO — The NDP's critic for Poverty and Homelessness, Rima Berns-McGown (Beaches—East York), said cities desperately need the Ontario government to help fund shelters and food banks, as the convergence of homelessness, hunger, unemployment, and COVID-19 has put cities across the province on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

"People sleeping in congregate shelter spaces are at a heightened risk of getting the virus due to very close quarters, while many others are sleeping rough, outside in the cold, for fear of contracting COVID-19 inside shelters," Berns-McGown said.

Feed Ontario's 2020 report paints a grim picture, with overall food bank usage on the rise. First-time food bank usage has surged by 26 per cent since the onset of COVID-19.

"Ford's recent budget gives no additional funding to the growing homelessness and poverty crisis our cities are facing," Berns-McGown said.

"Ford has refused to give renters direct financial support during COVID-19, or to enforce a ban on evictions. Ford doesn't want to spend the money to help people, and Ontarians are paying the price — sometimes, tragically, with their lives.

"The Ford government must step up to ensure Ontarians have more access to immediate housing solutions. Ford needs to stop pinching pennies and starting funding municipalities and organizations to help people who are unhoused, unemployed, or unable to make ends meet right now, before growing hunger, food insecurity and vulnerability to COVID-19 becomes a full-blown humanitarian crisis.”