In looking to adopt some of the radical approaches employed in London to handle homelessness, Canadian cities like Toronto are courting controversy.
Using a program known as the Rough Sleepers Unit--teams of helpers to get people off the street--between 1997 and 2002, London's homeless problem was all but eliminated. Since 2003, however, authorities have been using an anti-social-behavior ordinace (originally intended to deal with the behavior of 'drunks and and idle yong men') to target the more visible effects of homelessness: begging, wandering aimlessly, shouting, and sleeping in public places.As Toronto looks to blend aspects of both programs, critics charge that criminalizing behavior will be costly and do little to address the underlying problem.
Thanks to Eric Arzola
FULL STORY: Britain's radical take on homelessness
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