Wow. I'm a little slower than usual on catching up on various threads this week and there are 4 pages of back and forth here.
After a long workday, I am tired at times, and read UT threads as a way to relax. Sometimes, posts such as those of our new member
@ma-93 rile me up so much that I feel as though they demand a response. I am so grateful for members like
@Northern Light and
@AlvinofDiaspar, who calmly and skillfully have countered the posts of
@ma-93. You have saved me time and aggravation, as these arguments could not go unchallenged.
@ma-93, I am also grateful for your participation. This is how democracy should work, with everyone's viewpoints and opinions out in the open. I find your posts to be articulate and enlightening.
Preliminary issues aside, here are my thoughts:
Homelessness in Toronto is a very significant issue and a large challenge. Particularly during this pandemic, it has become more acute, and more visible (see the various tent villages that have sprung up). Should this issue be confronted in just one neighbourhood, or should the solution be to build housing throughout the city?
I believe that spreading the solution throughout the city is both appropriate and equitable.
It is no secret to regulars of this site that I am fortunate enough to own a home in a prosperous part of the city, Old Mill, near Jane subway station. During COVID-19, I am fortunate in being able to work from home. I do not venture too far from where I live. I do walk my dog for about an hour every morning, which lets me survey the neighbourhood. I have, on numerous occasions over the past few months, wondered how I would feel if the modular construction housing such as that proposed for this site were proposed for the Green P parking lots just north of Bloor Street very close to my home.
I admit that on a visceral level, I may face some fear or trepidation about such a project. I very much understand
@ma-93 on that level. That is why it is remarkable to be a human being. With some effort, one can make the effort to set aside that visceral reaction and internalize logically the evidence: that this is a net benefit to the community, Toronto, that has enabled you to accumulate your position of privilege. You can internalize the fact that this will provide a needed opportunity for those less fortunate, and imagine how easily you could be amongst their ranks.
It is not easy when it is right on your front door, or in your "backyard". I understand and admit that. But inequality is a reality accross this city, and its burdens ought to be shared across this city.
In terms of the burdens that will be faced by formerly homeless individuals that might obtain a home at this site, such as the length and trouble they might have in getting groceries or using transit to get around the city, -- if they believe these are not worth bearing, they will not move here.
