school_house

Hands Off the School House Shelter – Toronto

The Deets:

Thursday August 23, 2012

5:00 pm

Moss Park (Queen Street and Sherbourne Avenue)

Toronto, ON

The Call Out:

Rally, Free Meal and March to Save the School House Shelter

The City is determined to close down the 55 bed School House wet shelter on George Street. Already most of those staying there have been forced out and much needed shelter beds are sitting empty.

Local City Councillor, Kristyn Wong Tam, and fellow councillors on the Community and Recreation Committee, have led efforts to put a lock on the door of the School House shelter.

They claim that this is not a cut and want us to believe that they will spend the money they save by closing School House on new ‘housing initiatives’. We know better.

This is a huge cut to a vital service in the midst of a crisis – the waiting list for Toronto Housing is 10 years long, shelters are already overcrowded, and people’s health and lives are on the line.

Closing School House is not about saving money or reallocating resources. The truth is that decisions like this are made to benefit rich developers who are moving in on the Downtown East neighborhood. First the shelters close and then the condos go up. This can’t be allowed to happen.

We can’t lose this shelter and we have to fight or it to stay open. This is the place where we draw a line.

When the last resident is forced out of the School House, OCAP is ready to mobilize the community to take it back. We are preparing to occupy it, keep it open.

Our march on August 23rd, will be about building our strength and showing those who want to clear poor and homeless people out of this neighbourhood that they can expect a fight.

Help us draw a line and save the School House!

Contact Ontario Coalition Against Poverty:
416-925-6939 / [email protected]

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Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...