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Shelter and Housing Justice Network (SHJN) August – September 2022 Update |
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Hello folks! Update from SHJN: Call to Action for Housing! Every day the housing crisis across Canada escalates. In Iqaluit elders and youth are forced to sleep outside because there is nowhere else to go. In Kingston, as people struggle with the increased cost of living, more people are losing their housing and shelters are at capacity. In Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal, and in places across the country, people are forced to live in tents, bus shelters, ravines, because there is no where else to go. In Toronto a state of emergency ensues. More and more people are priced out and pushed out of rental stock and shelters are at capacity. On average 113 people a day are denied access to basic shelter because no beds are available. Despite the dangerous shortage of shelter space the City is planning to close shelter hotels and continues to attack and displace encampment residents. As winter approaches and temperatures drop the need for safe shelter is even more critical. Lives will be lost as a result of inadequate government action – we must Fight Back! November 22 is National Housing Day. The Shelter and Housing Justice Network (SHJN) is calling for a mass rally to send a loud message to all levels of government—leaving people to suffer and die from lack of shelter and housing can not be allowed to continue. They must build Social Housing Now! |
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We would like to invite all members of SHJN and concerned parties to help organize and build a November 22 National Housing Day action. To participate join our general members meetings on: · Wednesday, September 21, 2022 @ 7:00-8:30pm · Tuesday, October 18, 2022 @ 7:00-8:30pm Link to join meetings: click here For more information please email SHJToronto@gmail.com |
SHJN — July 2022 Update: Fund The People
Hello there!
Update from SHJN:
As we move through the summer months, we invite you to take a look at SHJN’s monthly newsletter for July, which includes information about how to stay in touch with network as we organize for the fall.
With Toronto City Hall now on summer break and a municipal election scheduled for October, many of meetings and committees where issues related to housing and homelessness are discussed will now be on recess until 2023. So now, more than ever, SHJN wants to hear from you on issues related to housing, evictions, shelter access and encampments. Please reach out to SHJN so we can continue to share important information and concerns from the community.
Image: Queen’s Hotel Tenants Coalition, Parkdale People’s Economy, March 2020
READ THE COMPLETE NEWSLETTER HERE.
SHJN — June 2022 Update: The Fight Continues
Hello there!
Update from SHJN:
The SHJN steering committee is sending out this communication to provide an update on the plans for the network in the months ahead. Since launching SHJN in December 2018, the network has benefitted from monthly general meetings where participants can share important updates on issues related to the shelter and housing crisis in Toronto, and can collaborate with other members of SHJN to plan actions and initiatives.
After running these monthly meetings for over 3 years—including two years of virtual meetings since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—we have made the decision to pause our general meetings, with a plan to restart them as early as September 2022. We would like to use the next 3 months to reorganize the network, which will include working to expand the network of SHJN to include more participants, and increasing the network’s capacity to advocate for justice and accountability around issues of housing and homelessness. Some issues that we will continue to focus on as we move forward are:
· Shelter and encampment conditions
· Inadequate housing
· COVID-19 protection measures
We look forward to resuming our monthly meetings in the fall, and until this time SHJN will continue to be active and available. More information about how to stay involved and up-to-date with SHJN is included below.
Read the complete newsletter here.
Homelessness in 2022 Ontario Election Parties Platform
Ontario Elections are ongoing, and as a result, SHJN Steering Committee agreed to share this quick guide in order to inform voters about Parties’ Housing Platforms.
On our website, you can click on our allies’ election toolkits to learn more about political parties’ platforms.
In the link below you will find the summary of these homelessness platforms:
2022 Ontario Election – Homelessness – Platform Promises – as of 9-May
Also, visit our social media and spread this information. Take part, share and vote!
National Housing Strategy – Left Behind: social housing
Please see information about Left Behind: social housing by FRAPRU
Nearly 5 years ago, The National Housing Strategy was adopted by the federal government. First announced with great fanfare on 22 November 2017, Canadian Housing Day. Is the Strategy able to respond to the current housing crises: serious deterioration of the homelessness situation; scarcity of rental housing; sky-high rent; and the rise of phenomena such as ‘renovictions’, evictions and speculation? Will it really be able to “further the realization of the right to adequate housing” as the law adopted in 2019 requires?
We are pleased to share our new leaflet, updated after the last budget, in English & in French on that important question.
Please, don’t hesitate to share widely this document LefleatNHS
You can also share it from FRAPRU website.
In English
In French