Toronto street nurse calls for 'wartime effort on homelessness' as she closes book on long career

A Toronto street nurse is calling for a "wartime effort on homelessness" as she closes the book on a career that has lasted fordecades.

Cathy Crowe, who has been a street nursefor35 years of her 50-year nursing career,said in an interview with CBC Toronto this week thatthe cityneeds to open more homelesssheltersimmediately.

"There needs to be a wartime effort to house people," Crowe said.

"There's 9,000 people that need housing and it's not going to get built overnight."

Crowe, who said she is not retiring from nursing so much as she is "stopping"her nursing licence because she has had enough, warnedconditions must be improvedfor people in homeless shelters as well asinlong-term care homes, intensive care units and hospital emergency rooms.

"There's a lot of crisis, there's a lot of suffering, a lot of death, and it doesn't have to be. So much of it is preventable," she said.

She said the city openstoo few warming centres for unhoused people. On Thursday, for example, when wintry weather lashed Toronto, the city said it would openonly three of thecentresin the evening.

Crowe said she thinks the city's Shelter Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) division should adopt a policy of one person per room in its homeless shelters, as it has done in its shelter hotels that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city, however, has begun to close shelter hotels, starting withthree this year:the Better Living Centre, at 195 Princes' Blvd., the former Days Inn hotelat 1684 Queen St.E.and45 The Esplanade, formerly known asthe Novotel Toronto Centre.The lease for the shelter hotelat 30 Norfinch Ave. will end on Dec.31, 2022. The city says 24 temporary sitesremain open.

On Wednesday, according to the city'sDaily Shelter andOvernight Service Usage webpage, 8,629 people used its shelter system.Meanwhile, an average of 168 people were unable to secure a shelter space in Toronto in November, according to the city's Shelter System Request for Referrals data page.

Taylor Deasley, the press secretary forMayor John Tory, said in a statement on Thursday that the city has been working hard to help unhoused people.

"Over the last eight years, Mayor Tory and city council have expanded our shelter system and also supercharged efforts to build supportive housing to give people a real path out of homelessness," Deasley said.

"While we understand advocates will continue their advocacy, it is important to note that the City of Toronto has unprecedented efforts underway to help people experiencing homelessness across the city."

WATCH | CBC's Chris Glover talks to Cathy Crowe about her legacy andthe future:

Its getting worse: street nurse speaks out following aftermath of the global pandemic

2 years ago

Duration 4:55

Cathy Crowe is one of the pioneering street nurses in Toronto shes worked extensively with those living in poverty for more than three decades. But living through the challenges of COVID-19 has forced her to quit nursing.

In a statement, Tory said city council approved his housing plan on Wednesday to ensure the city can build homes faster and that includessupportive and affordable housing.

"We have made record progress on getting homes built. Over the past two years we have successfully created 2,300newsupportivehousing opportunities. These opportunities were created through construction, acquisition and conversion of properties, and through the Rapid Rehousing partnership with Toronto Community Housing," he said.

"Over the next two years, we plan to complete 1,500 new supportive housing opportunities. This work goes beyond providing shelter space. This is creatinghomesfor people across our city."

SSHA said in a statement on Friday that there is "undeniablepressure" on the system and the use of shelter hotels was always meant to be temporary.

"The system is currently accommodating approximately 8,600 people nightly more people than it ever has before. Despite continually adding new beds, the shelter system is at capacity most nights," SSHA said.

The statement says the SSHA is"creating more than 1,000 spaces through expanded capacity in shelters and new permanent affordable rental housing with supports ... Combined with existing capacity, that will provide "emergency shelter and new housing units for more than 9,000 people," the statement reads.

"City staff will continue to explore opportunities to secure additional sites across the city to maximize spaces available for those in need," the statement reads.

Nobody'more respected' than Crowe, pastor says

Crowehas been the recipient ofseven honorary degrees andan international human rights award. She's alsobeen nameda member of the Order of Canada.

Doug Johnson Hatlem, a street pastor at Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto,said in an interview on Thursday that she'shas been a tireless advocate for unhoused people and has mentored many homeless advocates.

"For over 40 years, Cathy has walked with and advocated for people in dire straits in Toronto. There's nobody who is more respected. When Cathy says something, people would do well to listen instead of tuning her out," Johnson Hatlem said.

Although she's stopping her practice, Crowesaid she will continue the fightfor morehousing and better health care.

She said children in hospitals, seniors in long-term care and nurses themselves are suffering.

'A hostile environment'

Crowe said the Ontario government has created "a hostile environment" for nurses, has "huge disdain" for them, andhas engaged in"arrogant, abusive practices" towardhealth-care workers.

She accusedthe Ford government of ignoring the science and recommendations of infectious disease experts on such things as mask mandates, and refusingto fund the health care system adequately.

She had harsh words for the province's plan tolaunchanappeal ofthe Ontario Superior Courtruling that struck downBill 124, a law that limited wage increases for public sector workers, including nurses.

"I feel like I've been banging my head against the wall. I feel that as a nurse and I feel that provincewide. Whether it's in emergency rooms or pediatric ICUs, it's very hostile environment to be in nursing," Crowesaid.

The office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones did not return a request for comment.

"I know what my sisters and brothers nurses are going through, and the government has to wake up and end this," Crowe said.