WINDSOR – As people experiencing homelessness in Brockville are left scrambling for safety following the closure of the Cooperative Care Centre, Shadow Minister for Children, Community and Social Services Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West), stated the Ford government is once again failing to meet its basic responsibility to protect vulnerable people.
Gretzky says the shelter’s closure is the predictable result of years of provincial neglect.
“Doug Ford’s chronic underfunding of shelters has pushed communities to the breaking point,” said Gretzky. “When a 24-bed shelter closes in the middle of winter, that is not a local failure. That is a provincial one.”
“For years, frontline workers and advocates have warned that shelters are operating without the stable funding they need to keep people safe. Instead of stepping up, this government has downloaded responsibility and offered short-term fixes that do nothing to address the real crisis.”
“People should not be left wondering where they will sleep and find safe shelter when temperatures are below freezing. The Conservatives need to immediately restore funding and ensure communities have the resources they need to keep shelters open, and they should be implementing a long term affordable and supportive housing strategy. Housing and shelter are not optional services. Lives depend on it.”