A Toronto neighbourhood is calling on city officials to do something about a homeless encampment they say has caused fear, anxiety and stress among residents.
A letter penned to municipal leaders from residents at Clarence Square Park, located near Front Street West and Spadina Avenue, is demanding the city do something about the community park that is currently, and largely, occupied by tents.
The letter is addressed to Mayor Olivia Chow, Spadina-Fort York Councillor and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, MPP Chris Glover and MP Kevin Vuong.
“Residents are experiencing fear, stress and anxiety from this encampment,” the letter, obtained by Global News, reads in part.
The group who put together the letter is composed of more than a dozen local businesses and residences.
They say they want the park cleaned up so they can feel safe again and have a place to take their children.
The letter reportedly details instances of physical assault, theft of goods and alcohol from local businesses, harassment of anyone attempting to walk their dog in the park, tents being heated with propane tanks and complaints over human feces and urine in the park.
MUNICIPAL LEADERS RESPOND
Now Toronto reached out to the mayor’s office about the complaints and said it is aware of the situation.
“Mayor Chow believes that no one should be living outside in the cold. She understands the concerns of neighbours on the current situation in Clarence Square. Mayor Chow supports the actions being taken by Deputy Mayor Malik, Toronto Shelter and Housing Staff and Toronto Fire Services that help connect people to indoor spaces, housing and keep the area safe,” Arianne Robinson, press secretary of the mayor’s office, said in a statement on Wednesday.
She adds that Chow is moving a budget that prioritizes “deeply affordable housing” and provides even more money for the city’s shelter system so that more people can safely move indoors.
Spadina-Fort York Councillor and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik also told Now Toronto that she understands and shares the concerns of neighbours in Clarence Square.
“Public and green spaces in downtown communities are precious and everyone in our neighbourhoods should be safe to enjoy them,” she said in an email statement Tuesday.
“In a city like ours, no one should have to be living outside in the cold. My goal is to make sure our unhoused neighbours are able to access safe inside space and services to support them on their journey to long-term housing,” she continued.
Malik also notes that removing people from Clarence Square and other parks without proper indoor shelter and housing options isn’t the answer.
“Too often this approach has only resulted in new encampments in other parks. We need a multipronged approach to build a durable solution, and I am focused on solutions.”
MPP Spadina–Fort York Chris Glover, agrees.
“Homelessness has been exploding across Ontario. There are hundreds of encampments like the one at Clarence Square in cities across the province. We have a homelessness crisis fueled by the unaffordability of housing and an unaddressed opioid crisis. Nobody should be living in a park,” Glover said in an email statement on Wednesday.
