People who are unhoused in Toronto are the experts in their own lives, and their voice must be listened to, their concerns acted upon, and their rights upheld — indeed, they are rights holders. Signatories of A Path Forward understand this, from cultural leaders and former elected officials, to agencies actively delivering services and supports to unhoused people living in shelters and respites. The only people that must be convinced are City Councillors.

This evening, we spoke to CP24 alongside our colleague Gru, a former resident of Trinity Bellwoods, about the need for unhoused people to have meaningful input and oversight into the services that affect them. We also spoke to the fact that there are no specific or reasonable objections to A Path Forward — just a reticence by Mayor Tory to accept its recommendations.

But Toronto must accept and implement these recommendations. A human rights compliant approach is the only reasonable means to bring people indoors into shelter spaces and housing that is safe, accessible, healthy, appropriate, and affordable for them, based on their unique needs. Anything less does not adequately or sustainably address homelessness, and clearly the current approach — police use-of-force and 'institutional', unaccommodating services — is costly and ineffectual.

City of Toronto must adopt a better way; it must adopt A Path Forward.

We will be speaking again tomorrow morning to Global News Toronto at 7:30 am on why A Path Forward is the only way forward in our City.

Stay tuned, and continue to share this petition! Your support makes an important impact, and we have reached almost 1,000 signatures in just a day and a half! Our deepest appreciation to you.