Being Dependent on Government-Provided Housing Shouldn’t Mean Forced Compliance the General Public Isn’t Subject To.
Personal Autonomy Is a Right — Not a Privilege, and Not a Choice.
Every citizen — no matter their status, income, disability, or need to rely on government support — deserves the same rights and choices available to everyone else. We should not be segregated away from society and treated like institutional prisoners who can’t be trusted to make our own personal decisions.
Forced compliance with a health mandate that only targets a select group of people in the population just isn’t it.
And while on the surface this policy might not look like segregation, if the people it applies to feel segregated and controlled — then it is.
Where does it stop? What choices will be next under the guise of “the government knows what’s better for you than you do”? Why take away our ability to choose accommodations that meet all of our needs — including our lifestyle needs — when that option still exists for the general public, who often have the freedom, options, and financial means to find housing that works for them?
Why are our needs and our personal choices considered less important — just because we can’t afford market rent?
This isn’t about asking for luxury. This isn’t about asking for amenities. In the regular rental market, you might pay more for a dishwasher or an ensuite bathroom — that’s not what this is. We’re not asking for extras. We’re asking for the same basic choices the rest of the public still has: smoking or non-smoking, cannabis accommodations or not, balcony use or not.
The municipal government should not have the power to dictate our health decisions or personal lives — just because we require help with housing. Especially when those same personal lifestyle choices are still legally allowed, and freely available, to the rest of society.
Even the federal government doesn’t go this far — they don’t cut off your AISH, OAS, CPP, or Income Support because you smoke, drink, or make a personal choice they might not approve of. Because at the end of the day, it’s your life. It’s your body. And it’s your call.
This isn’t just about public housing anymore. It’s about control. This is a dangerous step toward government overreach and unreasonable control over some of the most vulnerable people in our city.
From where I’m standing — it’s not right.
And I won’t stop saying so.