SHELTER URGED TO CLEAN UP ACT

Meeting called after allegations of criminal acts

Police are meeting with Toronto's hostel services and the agency running
Street City tomorrow to find ways to get the shelter for the homeless to
clean up its act.

This comes on the heels of one Toronto police officer going public with
allegations of widespread drug dealing and prostitution at the former
warehouse on Front St. E.

Operated by Homes First Services and funded by Toronto, Street City provides
single rooms with locks on the doors to 71 people who pay about $325 a month
rent.

Originally considered temporary, it is still in use 10 years after it was
refurbished for a little more than $700,000.

The city pays $852,000 a year to operate it, including a 30-bed overnight
shelter on the mezzanine level.

"I'd say there are less than 10 apartments out of the 72 that aren't using
crack on the premises," Detective Matt Williamson of 51 Division told The Star.

"One-third of the prostitutes in our division have lived in or worked
outside of Street City and two-thirds of all related charges laid in the
past two months were directed related to the place. It's a significant problem."

City of Toronto hostel manager John Jagt agrees.

"When we bring people in off the street, we can't bring the street in with
them," he said. "We cannot tolerate that going on."

But residents say Street City is getting a bad rap.

"I love this place. We're one family," says Tina. "Ninety-five per cent of
the hookers outside here do not live in Street City. They just come here to
do their business."

Janet Andrews says there are very few drug deals on site.

"I'm an addict, I buy my stuff outside then I bring it in. What I do behind
my door is my business only. I pay my rent here."

Two years ago, she says she lived a "normal" life with two kids, car and
apartment. But she was an addict then too, she says.

"When I lived a normal life, I did what I do now," she says. "It's because
it's Street City and has a bad reputation. But this is a good place. It's
safe here. For a lot of these girls, they don't know what safe is. People
watch out for you. It's stable."

Staff admit the ramshackle old warehouse with its six fire exits is
impossible to police. Non-residents can enter via a back door and hang out
in any of the common areas undetected.

There are usually only two staff on duty at a time, half the number required
at city-operated shelters.

"We house the most difficult population. Where else would they be if they
couldn't stay here?" says David Barnes, executive director of Homes First.
"We're here to serve, we don't judge people."

But there are rules, which includes a ban on violence and any illegal
activities.

"We do our best to keep the dealers out," says Deena Nelson, the shelter
manager. "They don't stay long with us once we find out. But as to what
people do in the privacy of their own rooms, we have the same problems
enforcing that as any landlord would."

She compares working at Street City with working in any apartment complex.

"We must give 24 hours notice before we can go into a room and check the
fire alarm," she says.

Jagt says Street City isn't just another residential complex.

"It's a hybrid. Another high rise? Not quite. This is different."

But he doesn't want to close Street City. The city pays $8,200 per person
per year to stay there, half of what it pays for a person to stay at Seaton
House.

With files from Carol Coles -- Dave Haans Graduate Student, University of
Toronto WWW: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~haans/