Bringing down the hammer on encampments

Meet the new Working Families Coalition

ABOVE THE FOLD

MPPs will go out with a bang Thursday when the Ford government tables hotly-anticipated legislation to deal with homeless encampments.

Faced with mounting pressure from municipalities, Opposition critics and the public, the Tories will bring out the big guns with more powers and supports for police and City Hall to remove tent encampments from parks.

Pressed by reporters Monday, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister PAUL CALANDRA was cagey on specifics, saying only that more funding and resources for municipalities to find shelter spaces for people in parks is coming.

“We’re going to put tools on the table so that municipalities can deal with it. And if service managers are incapable or unwilling to make the changes that are needed to ensure that we deal with this situation in an effective manner, then we’ll take further steps in the legislation.”

Calandra is keeping the fine print close to the chest for now, but some in municipal circles are reading between the lines …