There are few who would argue Toronto’s shelter system is in crisis.

As health-care providers and organizations working with people who are experiencing homelessness, we see the consequences. We see the relentless stress that results from waking up unsure as to whether or not your basic needs will be met. The health issues that arise from overcrowded conditions. The trauma and injuries that come from the constant lack of safety associated with homelessness. And yes, we see the injuries and deaths that result from exposure to the elements.

With the recent extreme cold, there has been an outpouring of concern over the safety of people who are homeless. Right now, media is focused on the chronic shortage of shelter beds and deeply challenging conditions in the winter respite centres.

Less discussed are the annual budget decisions that lead to this ongoing and predictable suffering. Several of these decisions will be made by city council and its committees in the coming weeks, and finalized in mid-February.

One of the most important: setting the property tax. For the past few years, Mayor John Tory has led council in holding property tax increases at or below the rate of inflation. Property taxes for houses and condos in Toronto are lower than all other GTA municipalities and lower than Hamilton and Ottawa. A modest increase in property taxes, above the rate of inflation, would help Toronto to meet the life-or-death needs of our most vulnerable residents.

It is true that other orders of government must step in to fund housing that is affordable to people living on very low incomes, supportive housing spaces and social housing repairs. But Mayor Tory and council do not control other orders of government. They do, however, control a range of levers with the capacity to ensure that everyone has access to dignified and appropriate temporary shelter in winter, and all year round.

For low-income seniors and people living with disabilities, there are programs in place to help defer property tax increases they can’t afford. These programs can be enhanced to ensure that people living on low incomes are not adversely affected. It’s time to stop dangling the threat of older people driven out their homes by rising property taxes. It will not happen if we do not let it happen.

It has been heartening and inspiring this season to see residents of Toronto pool their money, time and skills to find and pay for hotel rooms for some people without shelter. We have a more systematic way of doing this, however, and one that has the potential to reach people across our city. It’s called the property tax. And it’s time for all of us to make sure our councillors and our mayor vote this February to use it.

Dr. Stephen Hwang is a physician specializing in internal medicine, a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto.Kapri Rabin is the Executive Director of Street Health, a not-for-profit that works with people who are homeless and underhoused in downtown Toronto.

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