A planned hunger strike is still a go for next week following a “sorely disappointing” meeting between London homeless advocates and city officials.
#TheForgotten519, a coalition of front-line homelessness professionals, met with Mayor Ed Holder and other city staffers on Tuesday to discuss demands made by the group aimed at preventing deaths of homeless people. However, the meeting came to an end with no resolution.
“We went into our meeting with the city hoping for serious conversation regarding how to implement these necessary, life-saving changes but we were sorely disappointed,” #TheForgotten519 said in a statement. “People are dying predictable and preventable deaths at appalling and ever-increasing rates. Continuing to do what has always been done has not stopped anything. In fact, things have only become worse.”
On Monday, the group issued three demands, warning if the city did not implement them or offer real alternatives a member would stage a hunger strike on the steps of city hall starting at 9 a.m. on August 2.
The demands made are as follows:
1. An immediate end to the removal of encampments in city parks, along the Thames Valley Parkway, and in empty city lots.
2. An immediate transition of the city’s coordinated informed response (CIR) team from a displacement model, to a team that offers meaningful support to campers at their campsites.
3. Create two 24/7 shelters, one in the core, the other in the east-end
“We know that the demands we have brought forward are not a “silver bullet” or a cure-all for poverty, oppression, apathy, and greed,” the coalition said. “We know that this will not bring rental prices down, bring good jobs back to the community, or give us politicians whose priority is caring for the most vulnerable members of the community. But the implementation of our demands will make a real, life-giving, and life-saving difference in the lives of those most vulnerable and oppressed Londoners.”
According to the coalition, 34 people have died on the streets of London so far this year. In 2021, there were 74 deaths and in 2020 there were 59 deaths.
“It is important right now that policy and procedures are changed for the better, roles of the CIR team are modified, and that more services are implemented immediately,” the coalition said.
More than 800 people have signed a Change.org petition in support of #TheForgotten519’s demands as of Wednesday morning.
Kevin Dickens, London’s deputy manager of social and health development, said in a statement that the city shares the concerns of #TheForgotten519 and the group’s sense of urgency to protect the city’s most vulnerable.
“The issues underlying homelessness, addictions and mental health conditions that are prevalent among our vulnerable population are complex and multi-layered. We know that the people who are experiencing homelessness, struggling with addictions and mental health issues are best served when the work is done collaboratively and with the support of multiple agencies across the system,” said Dickens.
He added that the city has “strongly” encouraged the coalition to meet with the London Homeless Coalition to discuss the three demands. Together he believes the two groups could work to identify collaborative solutions.
“The city has made every effort, both from a financial and resource perspective, to tackle these problems together, on the advice and direction of and with cooperation from community agencies,” said Dickens. “We were also disappointed with the outcome of the meeting and are concerned that this new organization does not intend to work with established service providers.”
Dickens also stressed that the work being done by the CIR is compassionate and caring, with a focus on health and safety of the people in the encampments and of the surrounding area. He added the city is making progress on moving homeless individuals toward housing.
“We are committed to working together to address these issues and to explore new solutions collectively and collaboratively. We are concerned about the actions [#TheForgotten519] are demanding,” said Dickens. “These are complex social issues that require all levels of government, community agencies and other stakeholders to work together to provide public, social and health-related supports.”
