(Derek Ruttan/London Free Press)Ī poignant moment early in the debate came when Ward 12 Coun. Elizabeth Peloza speaks to opponents in the public gallery revealing she experienced homelessness as a child during a London city council meeting at city hall on Thursday, Oct. “The perpetual stigmatization has been disgusting,” Franke said.Ī proponent of the homeless hubs, Ward 12 Coun. “This plan is dealing with a specific population not being helped by other tools in the tool box.”įranke and other councillors also took aim at the language and arguments that some opponents, including members of the public, have taken in describing homeless people. “Roofs are very easy to fix, homelessnes is not,” Ward 11 Coun. Stevenson also drew fire for her comparison of the proposals being akin to getting a repair job on a leaky roof that only promises fewer and smaller leaks. Rejection of the first three would send a “very bad signal” to other organizations interested in building other hubs that can save lives, he said. “It really is about due diligence.”Īfter 200 experts came together to develop the plan and after months of public engagement, work by city hall staff and discussion by politicians last week, “to suggest we do not have due diligence, I think it’s really a slap in the face,” Coun. Let’s not minimize people’s concerns,” she said, pushing for council to defer its decision so other options could be considered. Susan Stevenson asked.Ĭouncil doesn’t have enough information, the “sales pitch,” to spend millions on the hubs, she said. “Will it make a difference? Is it the best use of the funds?” Ward 4 Coun. Opponents raised questions about the costs and effectiveness of the hubs and in one case, the specific location. “If we delay this, how many people will die?” “This is a pivotal moment for our council, a pivotal moment for London,” Ward 13 Coun. “No other community has come together in the way ours has.” “When it comes to improving the lives of marginalized Londoners, I don’t think we’ll ever have the chance we have right now,” Mayor Josh Morgan said during debate.
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