People are seen outside of a shelter in downtown Toronto, on March 28, 2020.Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press
A group of homeless advocates has relaunched a lawsuit against the City of Toronto for its handling of the shelter system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suit had effectively been put on hold after the city agreed to ensure physical distancing in shelters and to provide beds to those in need.
But the group now says the city has not held up its end of the bargain, and as a result, the legal action must resume.
The initial suit alleged the city put people’s lives at risk during the pandemic by not following physical distancing rules enacted by public health agencies.
A drop-in centre and other human rights organizations alleged in court documents that people cannot get into the shelters because they are at capacity.
The suit alleged the city violated shelter residents’ Charter of Rights and Freedoms and breached the Ontario Human Rights Code.
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