Al Gosling
A few months ago I saw an article in the paper. It was about a man named Al Gosling. I read the article and tracked down a few related articles about him online that night and the next day..
Al was an elderly man living in Toronto. In June of 2009 he was evicted from his home in a Toronto Community Housing Corporation building. His rent was subsidized by the government. It turns out that the eviction came due to a bureaucratic breakdown.
Al’s annual income statement was never filed. He assumed that the Government notified the Housing COrporation of his income. Apparently not. This lack of filing resulted in Al’s rent being changed from his geared-to-income amount to the same as current market rates. Clearly the man could not afford that, as so many other can’t. Needless to say, he was evicted.
After this, since he was now locked out (they changed his locks) he found a place to live under the stairs of his building. The Police eventually came and took him to the hospital. From there he had to go to a rooming house. At the rooming house, Al got sick so back to the hospital he goes.
Quoting Joe Fiorito from the Sept 18th 2009 Toronto Star:
‘Al Gosling is 82 years old. He weighs 93 pounds. He has no living relatives. He is sound of mind. He has some modest pension income. And he was kicked out of his apartment in community housing over a minor misunderstanding about rent.’
Al Gosling died in the hospital in October of 2009. He worked all his life, wouldn’t accept charity from anyone for fear of being a burden and simply wanted to live out his days in comfort. I’d say that’s a reasonable request.
It’s an angering, crying shame that this could be allowed to happen. How is it acceptable in this country, in this day and age, and in Canada’s Largest city that one old man is allowed to die and fade into the background simply because of one piece of paper.
I don’t think it is. We all die. But we should all want to make the lives of our fellow humans better in the brief time we share this planet. I want to see the day where policy and the rulebook aren’t as important as lives, both Human and Non-Human.
These articles about Mr. Gosling:
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/697540—al-gosling-is-now-homeless-at-82
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/708458—fiorito-from-home-to-shelter-to-hospital
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/709181
