By Fred Alverado
Fred is  a RPTV Journalist with the Focus Media Arts Centre.

Welcome to RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 43. In this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporters Allanis Inguillo, Fred Alvarado, Jabin Haque, and Victoria Nanneti, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas.

    Episode 43 features segments on:

1.  City Staff Defends their decision to allocate 2023 SDP funds without consulting the SDP Planning Committee. (01:17 min);
2.  Report of the SDP Community Building Working group (15:00 min);
3.  Regent Park United Soccer no longer has funding to continue free children’s soccer program (19:54 min);
4.  City of Toronto unveils 2023 Budget (25:37 min); New changes and programs coming to The Corner at 200 - 240 Wellesley St (27:42 min);
5.  Homelessness Crisis: January 9th, 2023 Open Letter to City Council (29:12 min);
6.  Covid-19 & Vaccination Updates (30:36 min); Events & Jobs in Regent Park Community (31:48 min).

This week's lead story:

Health Providers Against Poverty and Shelter Housing Justice Network is inviting all frontline community workers, health providers, researchers, and concerned Torontonians to sign an open letter to City Council related to the current homelessness crisis particularly in the Downtown East.

The Toronto Downtown East, which encompasses Moss Park, Regent Park, Cabbage Town, Church-Wellesley Village, and St. Jamestown is “home to diverse populations who live, work, and play in the area, with strong representation from Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ2S, racialized people, newcomers, and people on low incomes. The area is also home to high numbers of marginalized people, who are defined as people who are at risk because of a lack of affordable and supportive housing.”
(Downtown East 2023 Five Year Action Plan)

Community members are imploring the City to make the following changes:

1. Open warming centers between September 15 and June 1 every year when the forecasted
temperature for the day is 0°C or below, and ahead of inclement weather including freezing rain
or snow. Ensure livable conditions in these spaces, i.e. access to hot meals, washrooms,
showers, proper sleeping spaces with distanced measures, as well as social work supports.
Create a minimum of 250 spaces downtown, with access to alternative spaces granted through
TTC fare or taxi.

2. Reinstate low-barrier 24/7 respite space until the shelter capacity is below 90%, as per the
Toronto Shelter Standards (8).

3. Keep existing hotel-shelter spaces open, and add at least 2700 more non-congregate shelter
spaces.

4. Stop the eviction of encampments and the destruction of survival gear.

5. Collaborate with all levels of government to build 10,000 rent geared-to-income units
immediately and 90,000 additional units to address the growing waitlist.