Statement-Covid-19 in our Community

August 5, 2020

Jane Finch Centre-Covid-19 in our Community

This statement is an acknowledgement of the disproportionate rates of Covid-19 in our communities and our commitment to continue to support our participants and community members through the Covid-19 Pandemic.

On May 20, 2020 Toronto Public Health (TPH) started collecting data on Indigenous identity, racial group, income, and household size. The results have shown that there is an over-representation of racialized individuals in reported Covid-19 Cases. Further, on May 27, 2020- TPH released neighborhoods maps of Covid-19 cases, showing that neighborhoods in our community have been hardest hit by this pandemic.

This information highlights the larger systemic inequalities our community faces in employment, transportation, and housing to name a few. We saw during this pandemic that the work of members in our community are deemed essential, although we still continue to fight for equal pay, and higher rates. When transit ridership slowed down in other parts of our city, our community members still faced overcrowded buses. We know that Jane and finch is home to the highest concentration of high rise buildings with larger households making social distancing increasingly difficult for residents in our community.

As an organization, we acknowledge the role we play in providing pertinent information and resources to support members of our community in navigating information they need to support their personal, social and economic development.

We are committed to continue to support our community through our service delivery, programming and social justice initiatives.

--Jane Finch Centre