To All Whom This Concerns – The People, City of London, Provincial Govt, Federal Govt…. To All,

We are in a serious, even scandalous crisis of homelessness and poverty. It is a crisis that has only worsened and deepened during and since the pandemic, but it has always been the consequence of fundamental and system failures… of decades.

Now, we indeed need emergency solutions.

We need a significant investment in our emergency responses such as those being proposed by #TheForgotten519, along with significant investment in sustainable solutions such as rent controls and increased social assistance rates to allow people to actually pay the rent.

We need to enact our affordable housing policies with vigour, build more deeply affordable social housing and generally see to the de-commodification of housing within the principles of Housing as a Right.

We’ve been saying this for years! We fully comprehend the aims and motivations of #TheForgotten519 and applaud the momentum for this cause that their compassion, commitment and action has brought about.

In solidarity,

Chuck Lazenby
Executive Director

Dirka Prout
Chair, Board of Directors

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UPDATE: The hunger strike has ended and an agreement has been reached between the City of London and The Forgotten 519. More detail: https://twitter.com/Forgotten519