Poll suggests Ontarians reject "Safe Streets Act"; find it unsuitable for dealing with homelessness.

TORONTO, March 3, 2015 /CNW/ - The results of a recent poll suggest Ontarians broadly reject the use of the "Safe Streets Act" and policing as an effective way of dealing with homelessness.

Instead, Ontarians argue for better access to affordable housing, employment, mental health and addictions supports and an investment in prevention so that people don't become homeless in the first place.  It's clear that the use of policing and ticketing is the least preferred option for addressing homelessness.

The Ontario Safe Streets Act is a provincial law that came into effect in 2000 in response to the growing number of visibly homeless individuals in cities across the province during the 1990s. After 15 years, it's time to review and repeal this Act.

The Coalition for the Repeal of Ontario's Safe Streets Act has argued that the Act is unnecessary and unjust. The Coalition is made up of 10 member organizations and many individual Ontarians, including former Ontario Attorney General, Michael Bryant.

For more information about the poll, the Safe Streets Act and the Coalition: http://www.homelesshub.ca/SSA-poll-results

SOURCE Canadian Observatory on Homelessness

Oxana Roudenko, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 647-909-7567; [email protected]