City meets to discuss poverty reduction: Two homeless men die just blocks away

Join us THURSDAY, July 17th, to protest the city’s refusal to address poverty in our community and to speak out against the recent deaths of two homeless men who died last week in our community.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 17, 2008

TIME: 11 AM

LOCATION: Queen and Sherbourne St.

On Monday, July 7, around supper time, Biniyam Selleshi, a young Ethiopian man in his mid- twenties was found dead in the Salvation Army Maxwell Meighen Hostel. On Thursday morning, July 10, Denis Bowen, 42, a native man known to many of us in the community, died outside a social housing building at 200 Sherbourne St.

We are not able to confirm for certain how these two men died. What we do know is that both men were homeless.

We should all be disturbed and outraged when poor people die in overcrowded hostels, or are found dead outside deteriorating social housing buildings operated by the city. For too many years, we have watched poor people in our community struggle on a daily basis without sufficient income, and we have watched as they try to survive, to find food, shelter, and safe affordable housing.

The mayor, and city politicians, want the public to believe that the city is taking care of the needs of the poor and the homeless - in reality, homeless men and women are suffering and dying on our streets. The City of Toronto has abandoned many poor and the homeless people who live on its streets and in its shelters.

Note: This date has changed. This was originally set for Wednesday. It will be held Thursday morning, not Wednesday.