º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍø

There also aren’t enough emergency shelters. Last year, the province operated just , despite over 80,000 people being homeless — and not all of these shelters were safe places to be. Because they have nowhere else to go, many Ontarians have no choice but to live in public parks.

And the problem will get worse.

In the midst of an unpredictable trade war with America, Ontario could see as many as 68,000 jobs lost this year alone. With people’s livelihoods under threat, their ability to afford their housing is at serious risk.

A recession, fuelled by Donald Trump’s tariffs, is imminent. In response, Premier Doug Ford should be protecting and expanding access to affordable housing. Instead, he has introduced , which punishes people who are homeless and living outdoors.

Bill 6 would make it possible to immediately evict encampments, despite the absence of housing and shelter. It would give police the power to arrest homeless people without warrant, jail them for up to six months and fine them up to $10,000 — or all three.

If passed into law, Bill 6 immediately threatens thousands of Ontarians with jail time and insurmountable fines. It could also impact a  if the economy stays precarious.

Not only is Bill 6 cruel and a , it won’t work — just ask America.

Punishing encampment residents is a . Trump recently applied it to . This policy has not housed any Americans or built a single affordable home. What it has done is significantly increase costs to the public through policing and prisons and . The approach is so harmful that the National Homelessness Law Center in Washington D.C. has , asking him to reconsider Bill 6.

Not only does policing encampments , it  away from  like homicides. Moreover, it , or $133,955 a year, to incarcerate a single homeless person in Ontario — far more than even the highest rents.

Punishing people for being homeless is discriminatory, ineffective and a human rights violation. It also decreases public safety and increases costs to the public — most of which will be paid for through property tax hikes. In short: it makes no sense from any perspective. And it’s unpopular.

The vast majority of Ontario’s 444 municipalities  to end homelessness — not punishment. The ,Ìý, and  have all spoken out against criminalizing people forced to live outdoors.

So, what should be done?

To start, instead of looking south of the border, Ford should look west.

In Manitoba,Ìýthe provincial government is purchasing and renovating apartment buildings to immediately house people. Once housed, residents can access trauma-informed, culturally appropriate programs, as well as on-site, voluntary support with mental health and substance use. To date, no one in receipt of this housing has returned outdoors. It works, because it gives people what they need: permanent housing with voluntary supports that meet them where they’re at.

So, while Manitoba is instructing us on a “Made in Canada” approach to homelessness that works, Premier Ford is modelling dysfunctional policies championed by an irrational American president.

Instead of acting like Trump, shouldn’t Ford be protecting Ontarians from Trump? Be like Manitoba, Premier — give people affordable housing, not jail time.