Speaking for Toronto's Homeless: Ron Craven
I could hardly pass up the chance to talk to this amazing survivor turned advocate; his story, incredible and almost unimaginable, demonstrates the ongoing challenges of fighting revolving door homelessness in our city.
Once a wealthy businessman who considered running for Mayor of East York, Ron Craven fell in love and fell victim to the world of crack cocaine. Within 2 years he was bankrupt and living on welfare, and spent the next 10 years struggling to get off the streets. Given his experiences on the streets of Toronto, Ron shares unique insight into the issues surrounding homelessness in our city.
How have you seen the 'fight' against poverty and homelessness change in recent years? Is the situation changing for the better or worse?
I think the situation is much worse. The politicians seem to be more concerned with hiding the problem than fixing it. That's the whole philosophy behind the Streets To Homes initiative. The city seems to think that placing people in substandard housing which is far below the building code or health standards and at rental rates far in excess of the amount allowed for with social assistance and moving them from the center of the city to remote areas, far away from friends and services and out of sight is an adequate solution.
The Safe Streets Act has nothing to do with safety. It was created explicitly to drive poor people out of sight.
Were there any good outreach attempts for Toronto's homeless this past winter?
I, like many of my homeless friends, have never been too interested in outreach as sponsored by the city. They have traditionally been designed to give the appearance of helping while actually aggravating life on he street. When the city forbade outreach workers to give us warm clothes or sleeping bags because that would enable us to remain homeless, the message was clear to all of us.
The city won't help. We place our faith and trust in the church and privately sponsored programs which actually try to help. Also, Streets to Homes has hired 48 new outreach and housing workers to cover the downtown area. We can hope that this will translate into less of my friends dying on the streets.
What sort of an impact is your story having in Toronto? Have you had any difficulty in getting your message out?
My mission is to increase understanding within the general population, not to directly effect immediate change. I am currently working on a project to document conversations I have with individual homeless people in which I focus on their stories to emphasize their humanity. I put these mini-documentaries on my YouTube site so that viewers will see that these are real people.
It's hard to measure results with a project like mine. The inertia I am working against is staggering and at times I feel I am preaching to the converted and not being heard by those who need to listen. I have never received any replies to emails sent to politicians at any level of government. They don't want to hear it. Yet I have had thousands of viewers come to my sites and if I can help people to better understand the issue, perhaps eventually there will be enough public outrage to force the politicians to listen.
Any thoughts on how changing politics might affect the homeless situation?
I am convinced that Harper, given his preference, would take away existing support for the homeless. Fortunately we have a minority government, and the parties Harper needs support from to stay in power are usually more helpful in their philosophies. I am optimistic that thinking the Obama government will put pressure on Canada to do more to alleviate the situation.
What can Toronto citizens do to positively impact the issue of homelessness in Toronto?
Citizens who are tired of seeing people sleeping on the sidewalk should first inform themselves about the issues involving homelessness: read the related articles in the newspapers and search the internet to learn the truth.
Once they are informed, they should write letters to the editors and to the politicians demanding a policy be instituted which will place enough income in the hands of poor people to enable them to pay rent. That means increasing the minimum wage to the point where a person can pay market rent and feed his family without the demeaning need to rely on food banks and clothing banks and other charities. There is no excuse for a person who is working for a living to have to rely on charity to make ends meet.
That also means increasing the rental portion of social assistance to a level that reflects the true cost of accommodation in the city. The present maximum rental allotment is less than $350.00 per month and the worst slum room available costs $450.00 per month. That $100.00 monthly shortfall guarantees homelessness for most social assistance recipients, unless they are in assisted housing, have a hidden income, or are living with a relative or friend who is willing to absorb the loss.
I have seen a lot of positive media response to the situation, which is very exciting. If the media treats it as a serious issue, their audience will become more enlightened and that will effect change.
More information on Ron and his story can be found at DownbutNotOut.com.
Comments (35)
Thankyou for highlighting the issues of homelessness. I have a friend homeless there since November. Its a cold place in Winter. I appreciate that you have tried to break down some of the stereotypes of this increasing problem world wide. (In Ireland)
"That means increasing the minimum wage to the point where a person can pay market rent"
Seriously?! Ontario already has a high minimum wage to begin with and increasing it to ridiculous amounts like $15-20/hr just ends up in more unemployed and potentially inflation.
Before someone jumps on me for mentioning something business-related; I'm not saying that the homeless issue should be taken care of, just that increasing the minimum wage is a bad idea.
The recent increases in minimum wage (since about 2003) were a LONG TIME COMING, going up to $8.75 last March, with planned increases to $9.50 as of March 31, 2009 and $10.25 as of March 31, 2010.
Given that it is deemed reasonable to spend between 40 and 60% of your income on rent, this would just barely cover market rent in a crummy area.
actually it would be a good investment, especially right now.
The more money people have, the more money people spend. This much is clear.
i was once homeless. mostly due to my own stupid, selfish behavior. many i came accross had the same story as me. i did need to rely on the safety net to get my footing. you're right about the church and privately sponsored programs taking it to the next level. but at the end of the day, homeless people really need to change their attitude about life and try to use the help that is out there. if they do not show signs of willingness to change themselves they need to be cut off from the support. and left to their own devices to live and provide for them selves. some folks need to really hit rock bottom before they are willing to change. they need to be willing to actually do something about their situation. not all, but most people i've come across when i was on the street only cared about getting high and how to manipulate others to get what they wanted. i don;t like harper or politics but i don't really think its their problem to solve.
"just barely cover rent in a crummy area" ???
Let's see, assuming you pay 50% of your minimum wage salary towards rent, and you working full time, as of April 1st you've got $760. Plugging that into housing maps in Toronto and there's listings all over the place. Close to UT, High Park, St. Clair...etc. Your statement is ridiculous.
"The more money people have, the more money people spend. This much is clear."
Not necessarily. Most of the people who aren't spending money now aren't people with a lack of funds. They are just people concerned about the economy and are saving their money in the event the recession starts hittinng closer to home.
Well queen, you're ignoring a few important issues... first you must pay into CPP, EI and some income tax with each pay cheque. This is true even if you're earning minimum wage. So you won't take home the $1570 or so you've calculated, but probably closer to $1200. Second, although 50% of your income towards rent is do-able, you're not adding on hydro, bills, and any other living expenses that may be incurred.
Finally, and most importantly, plugging in a rent value to any rental sites for Toronto will HARDLY give you a realistic picture of what's available. Ever been apartment hunting? Ever seen what the cheapest apartments have to offer? I lived in Flemo for financial reasons for awhile... trust me, you wouldn't want your kid living in most apartments in Toronto around the $700/mo mark. Of course, those nice gems do exist at reasonable rents, but in a competitive market (low rent = competitive) you can bet that a homeless person earning minimum wage won't be at the top of most landlord's lists.
Ridicule all you like, but if you think you can guarantee low rent based on what you plugged into a Toronto housing map well... most renters would find that ridiculous.
Really appreciated reading this post. Keep on the good work Ron!
I can't understand how anyone can think $6.85/$10 currently is a liveable wage in a city like Toronto. I also can't understand why anyone would want to hijack this meaningful post with mouthbreather comments against homeless/the poor/the working poor. It's like I'm suddenly reading comments on a G&M/Toronto Star online article or something.
Ron Craven your story is enlightening. I have attended some of the open CA meetings with family and have heard similar experiences however, yours has truly been a moving one..I can only really say that it is amazing that you have made it this far in all your hardships, but as long as you have that will to survive, you can do it. Thanks for sharing.
Corina, thanks for posting this.
Good on ya for calling the situation what it is. If these people don't have any desire to better their position and only want to stick it in society's eyeballs (not to mention their own, in a self-annihilating way), then leave them to the elements and natural selection. People who fall on hard times and really want to come back will find a way to do exactly that. This situation doesn't exist in many countries (eg. Hong Kong), 'cause they don't put up with antisocial, passive/aggressive bullshit.
Uh, Hong Kong? Really?
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/19/hong-kong-ng-hao-big-naug-or-you-are-dead/
Well I had no problem living in the Queen/Spadina area for 2 years at around $550 inc. utilities, and it wasn't hard to find. Yeah it was a shared apartment, but seriously if people are making minimum wage what do they expect? A penthouse in Yorkville? Get real.
And I think you just proved merriemelodies point, the cops in HK don't take shit.
Thank you Corina. Great article and a nice birthday present. I'm very interested in the comments. It's a little disheartening to see so many callous people in this city. It seems I have a lot more work to do. Perhaps as the recession escalates and some of them find themselves homeless they'll begin to understand.
On the bright side, at least condemnation of the homeless vermin is not unanimous. There are many who care left in this monetary world.
To all, I say that the evolution of our society is at a crucial turning point RIGHT NOW. We will see radical changes in the fabric of our society as a result of the current economic meltdown.
We will either experience a decimation of the middle class resulting in a 2 class society with an unreachable void between the two with no hope of advancement ( a master and slave society)
or
we will evolve into a more homogeneous society where all human beings are of value and will have the opportunity to live with security, freedom and dignity.
The choice is ours.
"...where all human beings are of value and will have the opportunity to live with security, freedom and dignity.
The choice is ours."
All human beings ARE of value. But if the individual him/herself for whatever reason has insufficient self-worth, determination, and dignity, there is no amount of societal lovingkindness gonna turn that situation around. Social workers and do-gooders and government tax dollars are not going to fix that. Ya gotta want it and make it for yourself, Ron. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
The problem with your assessment is the fact that most of the people we are discussing at one time had self-worth, determination, and dignity, until it was crushed out of them by the machinery of this society.
I am not proposing a Free Lunch as you say, just a more equitable share of a very large pie. It seems that people will superimpose their own prejudices to misconstrue my meaning no matter how I try to explain my stance.
Furthermore, since the inequities of our present system are the primary cause of the problem, it behooves us to assist the victims in their efforts to re-establish themselves in our society as a first step in correcting these inequities.
If you reject my statement that there are inequities, how do you justify that one person can earn a million dollars per year when another who works just as hard has to try to support his family on a minimum wage that is insufficient to house and feed them?
Part of the very valuable social work the Pigs perform, is to lean on the poor and homeless, to harass them into LEAVING for somewhere else. The Police have better things to do. Like, protecting crooked politicians, or, how to figure out ways of skimming cash for themselves from their departmental budgets or pension funds.
its not crushed out of them by... the crack and meth.
get with it ron. you really have no clue do you?don;t try and spin this.
Ron Craven (Ronzig) on March 27, 2009 7:11 AM, replying to a comment from merriemelodies
The problem with your assessment is the fact that most of the people we are discussing at one time had self-worth, determination, and dignity, until it was crushed out of them by the machinery of this society.
Reply
With all due respect Ron, it is clear by your story that when you were an addict, you were homeless, when you got clean, you got the help and shelter you needed.
you say the drugs a symptom of the problem, not the problem.
well, your own story tells us something different. You were a successful man. Then you became a drug addict. You lost everything for drugs.
I'm very sorry for your experience, but don't you see it is a life that YOU made?
Police corruption is a real problem, and so is how we deal with the homeless.
My point is simple Ron, we are defined by the choices we make.
You fight is valid Ron. Don't give up trying. Thank goodness your outcome was good, And I'm glad you have a voice to help those who need it.
Now, if we can help people help themselves, so much the better. And throwing money at the problem only helps the people who are truly trying to do better.
otherwise, we are just tossing money at the drug trade and the liquor store.
Corina, thanks for posting this. Bringing this story to light is a good thing.
Is sharing not an option? The emphasis here seems to be on single-person housing, but maybe buddying up might allow a decent place, such as an $800 one-bedroom apartment to be shared. It wouldn't be the nicest apartment, and you'd have to share, but that might be more of an option.
A lot of the non-homeless people I know can't afford to even live on their own, and live with roommates well into their twenties, albeit in 2- and 3-bedrooms, etc.
Another issue I wonder about is employability. A lot of the emphasis in the debate tends to be on the amount of assistance given out (whether it's blankets, clothes, food, or shelter at night), but after a basis of care has been established, shouldn't the real emphasis be on helping people get jobs?
It might be a low-paying one, but it should be able to secure a room somewhere in shared accommodation. I just wonder what sorts of job resources are available, and what both sides are: I'm sure one side says that there is the cyclical issue of no address/no job and prejudice, and the other says they are just lazy or not trying hard enough to find work.
I'd appreciate some feedback on the realities of both sides.
RE: the drugs are the RESULT of this crushing, not the CAUSE of the problem
this is NOT true Ron. you know and i know it.
RE: we are just tossing money at the drug trade and the liquor store
exactly. is this what you want Ron. think about what you are saying Ron.
perhaps i wont change your mind. its good you've found something to beleive in. just dont force us to beleive in what your saying. especailly those of us who have experience first hand. it's insulting.
Right on, man. Except for extreme situations (war zones, famine zones, totalitarian N Korea, natural disasters), wherever you are is a state of mind and attitude. Stop making excuses, Ron. Many of the most successful people around have had multiple failures, but they just get right back up and keep on punching until they make it. Like the dude at Yonge and Dundas says, BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!!...in yourself, that is. And like Samantha says, homelessness is a choice. Crushed out of them by the machinery of this society, my ass.
Certain people become so brainwashed by dogma that they forget how to think for themselves. Go ahead and cling to your misconceptions. I've had my say.
What the motherfk is that supposed to mean? Brainwashed? By what dogma? And if you want to think for yourself, you sure as hell won't be homeless. You know, Ron, you'd do yourself and your cause one helluva lot more credit if you championed the self-power stuff and stomped upon the victim shit. Or maybe you should just apply for a job at the Assembly of First Nations. Now, THEY know how to spin the victim role.
I wish you and your ilk well. Nuff said.
Capitalism, the new religion
The dogma of the cult of Capitalism is so ingrained into our society that any idea that conflicts with its strict adherence is met with violent, mindless rejection. Everywhere I turn, I am met with slogans from the Capitalist camp that have no basis in reality, but which profess to be the unquestionable facts. People, who know nothing of what they speak, spout these catchphrases as though they are great authorities on the subject and because the slogans are so ingrained into the public consciousness, people accept them as proof of the authority from whence they are spewed.
Against such overwhelming misinformation it is difficult for anyone who proposes a well thought out alternative proposition to be heard without angry and violent opposition from the true believers.
I wonder when Capitalism took on such a religious connotation. Surely it is foolhardy and extremely dangerous to allow a mere socio/economic philosophy to take on the trappings of religious conviction; for with it comes blind faith to the exclusion of all reasonable alternatives.
I have experienced ridicule and violent threats as a result of the theories I propose, which I am convinced possess greater merit that the existing accepted dogma which has led to the sorry state of affairs we find ourselves in at present.
Thankfully, I am not alone, for there are many thousands like me who recognize that the demise of the Capitalist system in its present state is inevitable. We must continue to explore the possible alternatives and work towards an evolution of the system into a more equitable one where all members of the world society can live in harmony, with free enjoyment of security and equal opportunity and acceptance. The present state of affairs where the murder and starvation of thousands of human beings daily is accepted as a necessary fact of life must be ended. It is not; it never has been; and it never will be acceptable!
I have to agree with you man, although I kinda gave up a while ago, but I definitely see people jerking off to the system when it's so clearly flawed and unequal in its opportunities....I'm afraid its gonna take a loooong time before we have something better, unless something out of the common happens.
Well, AGC, a voice from the wilderness. Welcome friend. Something out of the common is happening right now as we speak. We have entered into an economic implosion which the elite are hoping can be curtailed with huge bailouts of the very people and corporations that caused it. I expect that in the short run these measures which the poor and middle classes will eventually pay for with increased taxes to pay off the burgeoning debt, will initially show signs of success. But further down the road, I predict that as the money runs out, the systemic flaws that created the problem will rise again to bring on a second phase of recessionary economies world wide. If that happens, there will be no choice but to rethink the whole socio/economic structure. That's when the ture struggle will begin.
i can barely read through your notes anymore ron. can you get corina to help translate? thanks. see you at AA tonight.
Here's a link to a TVO full length movie by some the day's most profound thinkers that may help.
http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?video?ExaminedLife_Full_0_766443_ExaminedLife
Everyone should watch this.
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