Anglican Communion News Service

[The Anglican] Addressing a crowd of homeless people and activists in Toronto, Canada, Archbishop Terence Finlay called upon all three levels of government to develop a national housing policy to counteract the crises of homelessness.

Archbishop Finlay said, "One more death on the streets this winter is unacceptable. Safe, secure and affordable housing is a basic human need. We must work together to ensure that housing is seen as a fundamental human right."

He said that last year at least 22 homeless people died on the streets of Toronto. "Each one of those men and women had a name an was known and loved by someone. One death to the streets is one too many and the mounting death toll is but one sign of the housing crises facing our nation."

On the podium Toronto Councillor Jack Layton and street nurse Cathy Crowe joined the Archbishop. The rally was held two years after Toronto and other cities declared homelessness a national disaster.

"Christians have a duty to take action, We cannot cover our eyes and block our ears to injustice, suffering and tremendous waste of human promise and potential that lies in the wake of our current housing crises", Archbishop Finlay said.

The Diocese of Toronto has come in support of Archbishop Finlay and has asked Anglicans to write letters of appeal to the government to focus its actions on the growing issue of homelessness.

Archbishop Finlay said homelessness is no longer confined to larger cities and that it is experienced everywhere, in small towns and rural areas in the suburbs and in the heart of cities. "There was a time when homelessness was a secret that most of us could ignore, a time when homelessness was a down-trodden problem. That is no longer true.