Ontario Premier Doug Ford did not mince words when telling able-bodied homeless people to find employment in order to get out of encampments.
Ford was asked about the more than 1,000 people currently on wait lists for affordable housing at an unrelated news conference on Monday.
“You need to start working if you’re healthy — bottom line. If you’re unhealthy, I’ll take care of you the rest of my life, your life, we’ll take care of you,” said Ford. “But if you’re healthy, get off your A-S-S and start working like everyone else is. Very simple.”
The comments received an uncommon round of applause for a press conference.
“Do you know what the best way to get people to be able to get out of the encampments, get out of homeless(ness)? Get an application and drop it off at one of these companies and start working,” said Ford.
The recent comments follow Ontario’s homelessness crisis reaching a point where the Association of Municipalities of Ontario asked the province for funding and guidance on how to deal with the 1,400 homeless encampments across the province last year.
Ford added that he intends to challenge the court ruling on the Waterloo encampments.
In Jan. 2023, Ontario’s Superior Court ruled against the Region of Waterloo’s attempt to evict residents from a homeless encampment, stating that enforcing the eviction violated their Charter rights to life, liberty, and security. The decision emphasized that accessible shelter options were inadequate for the diverse needs of the homeless population, leading the Region to abandon its appeal.
“We’re going to challenge that court case because you can’t have people setting up encampments in beautiful neighbourhoods. You just can’t do it. It destroys the neighbourhoods,” said Ford.
Ford’s Plans for Housing and the Economy
Ford said that his government is investing over $3 billion in housing infrastructure projects, such as $1.2 billion to help municipalities develop and expand local water infrastructure systems, $970 million to build 500,000 homes across 60 municipalities, and more.
Ontario’s premier said he governs North America’s fastest-growing region.
“We’ve never seen anything like it. Over 800,000 people arrived last year,” said Ford.
He added that Ontario has grown faster than the two fastest growing States combined, Texas and Florida.
However, on top of last year’s growth, Ford said that 136 companies worldwide came to invest in Ontario, investing over $11 billion and creating over 12,500 jobs.
Canada’s unemployment has been driven by record immigration, which has far outpaced job growth and employment rate.
Ford’s Response to Criticism
While Ford made his initial comments on Monday, he revisited the point at a separate press conference on Tuesday.
He said he agreed with the City Council of Hamilton’s idea to build tiny homes with taxpayers’ money for homeless people, providing them with food, medicine, security, and other things costing millions.
“If there’s anyone out there (with) mental health issues, addictions, have a disability, I’m always going to take care of those people for the rest of their lives,” said Ford. “(If) you’re young, you’re healthy, and you can work, you have to find gainful employment. That’s what you need to do.”
Critics Push Back
Ford’s comments have drawn widespread criticism from housing advocates, opposition politicians, and experts, who say the premier is oversimplifying a complex issue. They argue that the root causes of homelessness are multi-faceted, including mental health issues, addiction, poverty, and a lack of affordable housing.
“It’s hard to have a job when you have no shower, you have no food and you have nowhere to keep your clothes and you don’t have a phone because it’s being stolen out of your tent,” said Kimberly Curry, executive director of the Toronto-based Seeds of Hope Foundation.
“Yes, there are people in encampments — or there can be — who are taking advantage, like in all areas of society. But 90 per cent do not want to be there.”
Critics at Queen’s Park said Ford overlooked the role that skyrocketing rents and the cost of living are having on people, particularly those struggling to survive on Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Plan or low-wage jobs. A recent report found more than one million Ontarians visited a food bank last year.
Shelters are also overcrowded and turning people away, unable to keep up with rising demand for beds. On average, 233 people nightly were turned away from Toronto shelters in August.
Calls for More Action
NDP Leader Marit Stiles called Ford’s remarks “heartless.”
“Housing is a human right, not a luxury … instead, the person in charge of our province is too busy using his soapbox to belittle vulnerable people.”
Ford’s comments have ignited a debate about the role of government in addressing homelessness and the importance of addressing systemic issues that contribute to it. While the premier insists that his government is investing in housing and support services, critics argue that these efforts are not enough to address the complex needs of the homeless population. The conversation is likely to continue as the province grapples with a growing homelessness crisis.
