Doug Ford’s government introduced a bill on Thursday granting cities and local police forces more power and funding to address homeless encampments in parks and vacant lots.
The legislation comes on the final day MPPs will sit before starting their holiday break.
Ford announced his plan for the new legislation last week, saying it comes at the direction of 12 mayors who sent him letters asking for help dealing with the issue of encampments. The Premier also noted that the bill will put an end to the public disorder, drug use and trafficking, and loss of public spaces that have resulted from the widespread growth of encampments.
“Mayors from across Ontario have asked for our help to deal with homeless encampments that are taking over public spaces and making their communities unsafe. I agree. Enough is enough,” said Ford.
The Premier’s political counterparts have criticized the legislation, notably provincial Liberal Party leader Bonnie Crombie, who said Ontario requires a program to give people experiencing homelessness appropriate shelter and necessary wraparound services.
Encampments started cropping up in many of Toronto’s parks when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, as people left shelters out of fear of contracting the virus.
Mayor Olivia Chow previously stated that if force is used to remove people from encampments, they will end up elsewhere.
Earlier this year, the City of Toronto adopted a “people-first, human rights-based approach” to connect people with shelters, services and housing after a Toronto ombudsperson investigation found “significant unfairness” in how officials cleared encampments in 2021.