'It isn't illegal to be poor'

Mayor David Miller defended himself yesterday against accusations he is punishing the homeless and pandering to the right wing with a proposed ban on sleeping in Nathan Phillips Square, as his homelessness strategy passed a hurdle.

The controversial change to a bylaw that would alter the definition of camping to include sleeping and is part of an $18.4-million plan to hire outreach workers and build affordable housing, was approved yesterday by city council's policy and finance committee and will go before city council next month.

But the vote came after homelessness activists, including Cathy Crowe of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, accused the mayor and council of pandering to right-wing attitudes about homelessness.

Mr. Miller said the proposed sleeping ban in Nathan Phillips Square had been misunderstood, stressing it would be enforced only after exhaustive attempts to persuade a homeless person to head to a shelter bed or other housing.

"People are entitled to the opinions. I thought when they spoke to the issues they did so clearly and fairly," he said of the often-heated meeting that lasted all day and included deputations from more than 30 homelessness activists, outreach workers and others.

The mayor said the bylaw would not criminalize homelessness, as activists charge. "It isn't illegal to be poor. I would never support any law that made it illegal to be poor."

Camping is not allowed in the square, he said, and the bylaw change would merely clarify that.

But he added that the change is necessary for the plan to house homeless people, saying "that you sometimes need to be able to give a little nudge to people." No one would be moved if there was no shelter option available, and no one would be arrested, he said.

Addressing the committee as about 80 activists and other members of the public looked on, Ms. Crowe accused the mayor of pandering to conservative councillors, such as Etobicoke Centre's Doug Holyday.

"It's a reactive report to certain members, certain elements I should say of council that have been discriminatory against homeless people from Day 1."

To applause from supporters, activist Gaetan Heroux of the protest group Ontario Coalition Against Poverty termed Mr. Holyday "a bigot" for calling on authorities to ticket the homeless for sleeping outside.

The presence of OCAP, which has a history of violent confrontations with police, prompted city hall to take security measures, including the locking of all but one set of front doors.

Four security guards were on hand in the meeting room.

Mr. Heroux called the report "social cleansing," and spoke against welfare cuts, policing and the gentrification of poor neighbourhoods.

Later, Mr. Holyday, who had called for a ban on sleeping in the square, angrily rejected the bigot allegation: "I think I speak for the majority of Toronto residents and taxpayers who want this problem cleaned up."

The mayor's plan takes a middle course, argued Councillor Howard Moscoe. "What we're trying to do is steer a course between the extremists who want to sweep people off the streets and throw them into the harbour, and those who want to shower money at the problem to solve it instantly."

The city extended its cold-weather alert, which makes extra shelter spaces available until tomorrow.

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The mayor's plan

Cost : $18.4-million from existing city and federal reserve funds.

Affordable housing : Using $11.2-million, the city plans to build 1,000 units a year.

Two staff members would be hired for "predevelopment work."

Transitional housing : Another $3-million would be set aside for future projects, including the building of temporary housing that would include services to help homeless people with "life skills," such as cooking or job counselling.

More outreach : Six newly hired outreach workers would approach homeless people and offer them mental-health or medical help and find them shelter space.

The city has two staff members doing this kind of street outreach. But it funds several community groups that do outreach work with the homeless.

Nathan Phillips Square : The homeless sleeping outside city hall is a political flashpoint.

The proposal is to alter a bylaw to prohibit sleeping there.

But Mayor David Miller says city hall security would enforce the ban only after all other outreach efforts had been exhausted.