Human Rights

While there are a number of human rights areas to look at in Toronto, including those involving seniors, natives, and children, the number one human rights problem at this moment is housing and homelessness. The candidates of Humanize Toronto believe that efforts at City Hall should be focused immediately on solving this problem. Here we are not simply talking about finding new shelters with the onset of winter - the entire city should move to pressure the upper levels of government for more funding, and every effort should be made within the City to find new solutions to this crisis. Fortunately, some positive advances have been made recently.

Not far behind housing in the Human Rights department lies child welfare. A staggering 34% of children are living in poverty in Toronto. In simple English, that is entirely unacceptable. A clear calendar for the reduction of child poverty and homelessness should be established - one that goes beyond the shortsighted 3-year scale corresponding to municipal elections.

To keep the issue of Human Rights front and centre in Toronto, Humanize Toronto proposes the establishment of a Human Rights committee at City Hall that would evaluate the progress made on Human Rights in the city and report annually to the people of Toronto through a publication, a website and neighbourhood meetings.