|
|
|
Real Estate News Releases
|
(EstateNewsWire.com, November 10, 2012 ) Matthews, NC -- Toronto did not have enough shelter beds for the homeless when a Hurricane Sandy-related storm struck, and a city official is pledging to find out why.
Kristyn Wong-Tam, a Toronto city councilor, said that she thought additional beds would be available.
Shelter beds were hard to find, homeless people said, even though city officials had promised to make 100 additional beds ready when stormy weather hit Oct. 29.
Wallace McDonald said he tried to find a bed but had to sleep on a floor at a housing referral center the night of the storm.
“I had looked, but it was pretty filled up over there,” McDonald told CBC News. He added that some were people were turned away.
A bed was not available for Derrick Jones, either.
He said, “I walked around soaking wet, looking for a dry space to stay.”
Wong-Tam said that was not what she had expected.
“What was told to me was that there would be an additional 100 beds made available to our homeless population,” the city councilor said. “Furthermore, anyone who was requiring shelter would receive shelter that night.”
An official with the city’s shelter said the problem was not with the shelter system.
The city at any time can add 165 emergency beds, and 41 were deployed Oct. 29, said Patricia Anderson, manager of Toronto’s shelter, support and housing administration agency.
“There were vacancies remaining in the permanent shelter system as well,” Anderson said in an email to CBC News. “Permanent beds may not have been used for a number of different reasons, including that the client did not like the location, or the beds may have been on temporary hold for someone else for a time, or the program was not a good match for the client.”
The city referral facility sheltered 140 people, an increase of almost 17% over the usual number.
“We counted over 40 people who were out last night,” said Doug Johnson-Hatlem, with the Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto. The homeless outreach worker said the city could have been more ready for the storm.
One woman was killed by the storm when she was hit in the head by a windborne sign.
About BunkBedBlitz.com:
BunkBedBlitz.com (http://www.bunkbedblitz.com/) is an online resource for bunk beds. Visitors can find out about a wide variety of models, including twin-sized, full-sized, lofts and futons. People also can find mattresses and place orders at the website.
ATOZ Companies, Inc.
Media Contact
1-877-434-2869
info@atozstores.com
Source: EmailWire.Com 
|
|
|
|
Real Estate News by Sector
|
|
|
|
|
