lorrainelamchops.bsky.social

our language & policies are rooted in violence.

the more we amplify, even VENERATE, those who speak violence: from Kirk, to Ford, Barrie’s mayor, local anti-shelter neighbours, we are just as violent as the person who committed the murder.

unhoused people are frequently framed as a threat to public safety.
meanwhile an unhoused person was murdered. an anchor on Fox shamelessly touted using lethal injections to kill unhoused ppl. when we discuss ‘safety’, what do we mean? who do we centre? [1/]

we are yet in another heatwave. the city finally got water to orgs after the civic long weekend, but people are still with no options. the one 24/7 space at metro hall is embarrassingly bad. seeing so many downtown outside.
can’t we at least have water fountains?!

OPINION: City hall must prioritize homeless constituents when siting shelters Some councillors are using consultation as a tactic to delay new shelter construction, argue members of the newly formed Shelter Support Collective

i am so honoured and grateful to organize with the Shelter Support Collective, a group of residents across the city welcoming shelters in their areas, and pushing for systemic changes. TODAY WE HAVE AN OP-ED OUT!! read and share!

big love to @TUHUnion_
www.torontotoday.ca/local/opinio...

folks upset abt “taxpayer dollars” spent on harm reduction often support things that cost more: police, jails, overdoses, healthcare costs, blocking shelters…
tbh if you follow the convo & ask “so where do people go?”, it’s really that they want poor people & drug users to die.

We had 8 min to blitz through so many things, including what supervised consumption sites are (i said it: no free drugs), incarceration, involuntary treatment, "safety" & "public", compassion...

what we need "treatment" from is the harm that state abandonment has done.

YouTube video by The Social CTV What You Need to Know About Canada’s Homelessness Legislation | The Social

Had an opportunity to be back on The Social to discuss Bill 6. Disguised as a bill to prohibit public drug use, it's really a bill abt criminalizing people who are unhoused.

here's hoping we can move the needle on this conversation towards addressing systemic change.

youtu.be/9olQ8SrB6gE?...

In Conservative-led provinces, they are finding every possible way to turn our once excellent public system into private fairy dust. They start with people who have less of a voice, so the takeover is inevitable when the rest of us are impacted. Speak. Up. Now.

#CdnPoli #abpoli #ONPoli

it is SO hot. 630pm and some of the city’s “cool spaces” have closed.
there still is only one 24/7 cooling centre and it has no cots, no food, no privacy.
organizations haven’t received their water yet.

like are yall just waiting for a death before any urgency?!

imagine wearing these shirts in a housing crisis.

remember when we arrived at the third heatwave and the city still has not distributed water to organizations that serve unhoused and vulnerable people?!?!!?!!?

it is mid july.

toronto is under a severely bad air quality alert, and there is ONE 24/7 cooling centre.

no cots, no food, just four tables and foldable chairs, right in the middle of the elevator access at a busy Metro Hall - no privacy.

how is this acceptable!?

There is a dangerous air quality index alert today & we still have no 24/7 options for people who are unhoused.

On outreach last night, our volunteer teams dropped off water, hot meals, & bagged lunches to people who live outside.

Now, will the City do their part?

Say what you know &/or feel about the housing crisis, why shelters are needed, & that you ultimately support the zoning changes to build shelters!!! If you are submitting something written, ask for your submission be made public record w your contact information redacted. [end]

So pls help: Sign up to depute (in person) or submit a written deputation to support zoning changes & the building of shelters! secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Not sure what to say?
Some ideas: [3/]

This Tuesday Jul 15, Toronto’s Planning & Housing committee will discuss zoning laws for shelters. There are groups of people planning a press conference & loud public opposition to building shelters. Imagine being against shelters while the homelessness crisis balloons. [2/]

Toronto, May 2025: out of 614 calls to Central Intake, only 12 resulted in a shelter bed. So if you tried to access a shelter bed, you had a 1.9% chance of succeeding.

This, in a heatwave w ONE 24/7 cooling centre, the City decides to evicts a few tents today. [1/]

22 out of 111…..

heatwave again. hot outreach!

no cooling centres. (the city says they have “cooling centres” but they’re literally just places w AC that close and aren’t suitable as respites). no water to orgs yet.

what’s the plan here toronto? this is a public health issue.

This is how the Edmonton approach is going.

"What, to the slave, is your 4th of July?" - frederick douglass

How a lack of resources will impact Toronto’s homeless community this winter

another person died from an encampment fire this AM. The conversation will be framed as the person’s failure to address fire safety & live outside, the fact is all levels of gvt are to blame for neglecting housing as a human right.

old clip, same msg👇🏼
www.breakfasttelevision.ca/videos/how-a...

Jason Delgado (Florida Capitol reporter for Spectrum News 13) on X: "Quick look at what inside a detainment tent looks like here at Alligator Alcatraz." What is shown in the picture is a long tent structure, about 50 feet wide. There is a corridor running down the middle. On each side are three rows of bunk beds. The bunk beds are sectioned off into cells which are constructed out of chain link fence, with chain link on the ceiling as well, making each cell a literal cage. It looks to me like each cell contains 9 bunk beds, so has capacity for 18 people each.

Literal cages. Not even metaphorical ones. Literal ones.

i am really tired of all the rhetoric that says: migrants/immigrants should be welcomed because of how they work the jobs no one wants, or things to that effect.

this perspective, imo, perpetuates an ableist idea that people are only valuable if they produce. NO!

currently working on more water.
private donations are a small bandaid but not sustainable. we need systemic changes so get involved w this piece too!!

HUGE gratitude to Mohamad
Fakih at Paramount foods. 🙏🏼

when the city failed to ensure people had access to water, he/his team donated 6 skids of water (~300cases) in 12hrs. the water went to EIGHT outreach groups in the city, including @OOTC_StLukesTO !

will the city to step up?!

YouTube video by CityNews Advocates say city needs better strategy to help unhoused during heat waves

Spoke to CityNews today about the City's embarrassing response to the heatwave. Bring back 24/7 cooling centres, for starters. Council meets this week - write your councillor insisting on a way more appropriate heat wave response!

youtu.be/nBSFe6w-_3U?...

Mayor admits ‘serious gaps’ in relief strategy amid heat wave Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow acknowledged “serious gaps” in the city’s heat relief strategy and apologized for untimely pool closures, saying “we must do better.”

spoke to the Star.
“Summer is not a surprise. We know that summer is coming…The fact that the city…going to look into options for a few months down the road,’ is completely unacceptable, in my opinion. Because, what’s happening in the meantime?”

www.thestar.com/news/gta/may...

Heat Relief Network tells people to go swimming to find relief.

Going great, isn't it?

24/7 cooling centres are needed.

bless the private donor for giving water
bless the driver who cut through rush hour traffic to get some sauga to toronto

shame on the city for being woefully unprepared for the heatwave

this stopgap is nice but not sustainable at ALL. will the city step up?