Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 2015
Source: Toronto 24hours (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Inc.
Contact:  http://24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4068
Author: Don Peat
Page: 5

THROW THE THUGS OUT: TORY

The mayor's task force wants drug dealing swept out of Toronto 
Community Housing properties by the end of the year.

Minutes after Sen. Art Eggleton unveiled that call to action, Mayor 
John Tory admitted it's likely impossible, but said he does want drug 
dealing "thugs" turfed from TCHC.

Tackling drug dealing is one of the key recommendations in the 
interim report from the task force headed by exmayor Eggleton.

The task force says TCHC should take "immediate steps" to get drug 
dealers out of housing by redeploying its community safety staff and 
urging the province for tougher legislation on evictions and trespassing.

By the end of the year, the task force wants to see drug dealing 
wiped out from TCHC property.

Asked about that ambitious goal, Tory immediately dismissed the timeline.

"That is wording that is obviously an ultimate goal that you would 
have, but it won't happen by the end of the year and I apologize for 
wording that suggests that that's the case," he said.

"If we don't do anything and we don't get some legislative changes 
and we don't have the will to decide to make it better, then you can 
be quite certain that drug dealing will not be reduced."

Tory said anyone dealing drugs on TCHC property jeopardizes the 
safety and security of other residents and that "means you forfeit 
the right to live there."

"I would like to see happen by the end of the year, some of the 
legislative changes in process," he said.

"This is urgent. This affects the safety and security of the 
thousands of people who live in these communities, so by the end of 
the year I want to see some progress being made." The task force 
recommends TCHC develop action plans within the next 60 days in four 
areas: Increasing community safety and security, improving building 
conditions, providing jobs and opportunities for residents, and more 
effective training for TCHC staff and contractors. Along with 
addressing drug dealing, the task force wants cleaner buildings, 
fewer pests and repairs done right by the end of 2015.

"We heard loud and clear that TCH must do a better job in serving the 
tenants it has," Eggleton said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom