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TORONTO About 200 homeless women and men risk losing access to support services such as showers, laundry and counselling because of inadequate funding, members of CUPE Local 4308 say.

The staff at Central Neighbourhood House, which operates the 60 Richmond Drop-In, will take their case to the city’s Budget Advisory and Policy and Finance Committees on Monday, February 17th.

Without additional funding, the Central Neighbourhood House board of directors has decided, services at the 60 Richmond Drop-In will be cut as of April 1, 2003. That means the morning breakfast program will be gone, the drop-in will not open until 10:00 a.m. and it will close at 2:00 p.m.

“That is a drastic cut to a service that is used by about 200 people every day,” said CUPE Local 4308 President Kelly O’Sullivan. “The last thing this city needs is fewer supports for homeless people.”

The cuts will mean less access for homeless Torontonians to free laundry, showers, sleep and meals as well as fewer hours for medical, mental health, housing and legal services. It will be harder to get help with ID replacement, resume preparation, job searches and referrals to other supports, O’Sullivan said. A total of 15 full-time and part-time staff will also be affected.

CUPE Local 4308 members will make their deputation to the council committees at City Hall, between 9: 30 a.m. and 12 noon on Monday, February 17th.

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For more information, contact:
Kelly O’Sullivan, President, CUPE Local 4308
416-929-2036
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications
416-616-6142 (cell)