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SHELTER IN PLACE Hessam Ghadaki ’99 is General Counsel at Times Group, a GTA developer. Andrew Boozary ’03 is The University Health Network’s Executive Director, Health and Social Policy, and co-lead of the Toronto region COVID-19 homelessness response.
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ndrew: One of the distinguishing features of the COVID-19 outbreak is that the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations face the brunt of it—and will continue to do so in the aftermath. As children of refugees, we are both acutely aware of how important it is for a society to provide supports that help people get back on their feet. That knowledge fuels our sense of social purpose. In mid-March, when most people were moving into self-isolation, that option was not available to the roughly 8,000 people living on Toronto’s streets. For anyone living in a shelter or encampment, there was no protection from the virus. That isn’t just an issue for those individuals. It is a public health issue for all of us. When Hessam and I talked about the impossible living conditions facing our homeless population, he identified two Times Group buildings in midtown Toronto that were being vacated prior to demolition. We decided to explore making those buildings available temporarily as a shelter where individuals could self-isolate while transitioning to a long-term living arrangement.
Hessam: Several factors enabled the project to get up and running quickly. Andrew is a prominent figure in the effort to increase access to affordable and supportive housing in Toronto. As a public health leader, he has many relationships with the City and with health and social agencies. Additionally, Times Group was already a player in the shelter space. In 2018, we made a building at 5800 Yonge Street available as a 400-bed refugee centre. It’s now the Willowdale Welcome Centre, one of the largest shelter spaces of its kind in Canada. Soon after the call with Andrew, I spoke to the partners at Times Group, including my uncle Ali Mesgarzadeh P’19, ’23, who immediately agreed to make the buildings
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01 Streets to Homes shelters in Midtown Toronto opened in April 2020 to house homeless clients during the COVID-19 pandemic 02 Andrew Boozary ’03 03 Hessam Ghadaki ’99 and Ali Mesgarzadeh P’19, ’23 at the Willowdale Welcome Centre in 2019 04 An example of one of the bedrooms accessible to homeless clients
available. While a Times Group construction team prepared the buildings for new residents, I got to work on an agreement for the City of Toronto to use the buildings for its Streets to Homes transitional program. The new shelter has 125 furnished apartments, each with independent kitchens and bathrooms. Clients receive three meals a day and have access to laundry and free WiFi. There is also ongoing screening for COVID-19 symptoms and enhanced infection prevention and control measures. Clients receive 24/7 supports and case management to develop a plan to secure long-term housing while addressing immediate needs. Andrew: Hessam led the way in designing an agreement for the City to rent each apartment for $55/night and for Times Group to donate the entirety of the $500,000 net proceeds to the Daily Bread Food Bank and Second Harvest. He also arranged for Times Group to make the donation before a single payment was received or any clients had moved into the facility. We are proud to have participated in this project. We are also acutely aware that the problems facing our city are much larger than a single shelter. We must all do our part to coordinate across sectors to address pressing social, economic and health issues facing our vulnerable populations.
24 Past & Present / Summer 2020
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