In 2011 John was approached by several people working with the homeless, and asked if I could assist in reducing the number of tickets being issued by Toronto police to homeless people for violations of the Safe Streets Act, mostly under the sections of that act prevent `aggressive’ panhandling.
A Freedom of Information request learned that in 2010, Toronto police issued more than 15,500 tickets under the Safe Streets Act. Later, Police Chief Bill Blair said that $831,774 was issued in tickets that year, but up to October 31 2011, only $34,980 had been paid. Apparently the cost in police time issuing these tickets was $190,000.
Ticketing involves others costs as well. Very few tickets are not paid since those who receive them do not have any money, which is why they are panhandling,so the matter ends up in court, which involves more police expense to attend, as well as the cost of the court – court reporters, clerks, a justice of the peace, a crown attorney, security officers. Sometimes the person is arrested and put in jail, which is another expense.
John pulled together a group of people working with the homeless under the name Safer Streets For All. The group made presentations to the Toronto Community Council and to the Toronto Police Services Board at various times in 2012. To the City, we asked that it modify its programs by renting private apartments for the homeless, increase their monthly welfare allowance, and provide support for them. We showed that this would actually save the city and the province money. Our brief stated:
“In 2012 the city proposes to fund 4215 shelter beds, at a total cost of $70 million. The cost per night is in the order of $73 per bed, and the Province has committed to paying $43 towards the cost of each shelter bed, with the city picking up the other $30 a night.
“Thus the cost of housing an individual in a shelter for a month is $73 x 30 days, or more than $2100 a month. That should be compared with the monthly cost of a small privately owned or non-profit apartment at about $800 per month. On the question of housing costs, a great deal of money can be saved by the city and by the province (assuming they both pay their respective share of one third and two thirds) by ensuring those living in shelters are housed in their own apartments.
“Of course, there will be other costs to ensure these individuals are successful. Social workers in the community will be needed to provide daily support and crisis resolution. Lawyers may be required to resolve tenancy, social benefit or criminal charge crises. Individuals will need community and places to go during the day so that they could not sink into isolation and despair. Isolation and despair could trigger the destabilization process. The costs of these services should not exceed $300 per month for each individual.
“Each individual will require money to live on. Clearly, the $230 now provided by Ontario Works is inadequate, and would lead to these individuals continuing to panhandle in order to survive. A report done by city staff in 2008 on the issue found (after interviewing panhandlers in a focus group) that these individuals thought $600 – 700 a month would ensure their needs would be met without panhandling. In all likelihood, payments should be made on a weekly rather than a monthly basis.
“Currently, an individual on Ontario Disability Special Program could receive about $1100 a month, and it is clear that after rent payment of $800 this amount too is not enough to convince someone to stop panhandling. Thus even if everyone now living on the street or in shelters were offered ODSP, that would not be enough to stop the panhandling which causes the problems and expenses noted above. Another $300 is required every month.
“Strangely enough, it probably makes good economic (as well as social) sense to pay individuals this $600 as a living allowance. As noted the subsidy now paid by the provincial government and the city for every shelter bed is more than $70 a night, or about $2100 per month. Putting all of these individuals into private or non-profit rental housing (cost: $800), giving them the appropriate social supports (cost: $300) and enough monthly income to keep them from panhandling(cost: $600), costs a total of about $1700 per month.
“The remaining $400 per month for each individual placed in permanent housing would represent a savings to the provincial government and the City. Getting permanent housing for almost all those now using shelters would result in annual savings of about $2 million. It makes good sense for the Ontario Works and ODSP programs to be amended to permit these changes.”
Several city councillors showed some limited interest, but city staff were opposed to this approach, and the councillors were not willing to push the matter before city council.
At the Police Board, we made three requests:
“1. Police must use techniques which do not criminalize the behavior of individuals on the street, but instead should ensure that they interact in helpful ways. Police should work with city staff and relevant social agencies to develop protocols to interact with individuals on the streets to avoid the expense of criminalization, and instead seek more useful outcomes This will require police training and instruction, but the cost of neither is significant, and many officers will feel much better about a job which sets out to help those who need it rather than enacting something which results in punishment. Most social agencies will be pleased at improving relationships with local police officers. Much money will be saved by the criminal justice system, including by the police.
“2. Reduce the incidence of tickets issued under the Safe Streets Act by at least one half, to the level of three or four years ago. This will save time and money for the police – perhaps $100,000 a year – and for the criminal justice system.
“3. Substantially reduce the practice of stopping, frisking, demanding personal information and running names of the homeless through police systems. This practice seems entirely arbitrary and probably contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedom. Further, it does not produce results which assist the police or the individuals except in very rare cases. “
The Police Board showed no interest in these suggestions, and simply received the matter without taking further action.
It is clear that there is little political interest shown in issues of homelessness, even if it is shown that current strategies cost money which need not be spent. This seems a bit perverse: the issue is so far away from the priorities of staff and elected politicians or appointees that they do not even want to advocate for less expensive and more productive actions. The Safer Streets For All group is now dormant.