If you cannot find affordable housing in Toronto, one of the most (if not the most) expensive cities in the world real estate wise, why not just move elsewhere? Surely the country side would be cheaper and have more fresh air.
My cynical reading is that individuals are being encouraged by support workers to give an interview saying they’re considering MAID, with the hope that the media attention will help them find a place to live. Obviously I don’t know this exact person’s situation, but having lived all over Canada, I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d choose death over a life outside of Toronto.
What I will say though is that housing costs are a huge issue for people with mental health issues because those people usually are best off staying near support networks which are rarely in low cost of living areas.
Ontario Disability Support is only $1,228 a month. The "shelter allowance" out of that is a whole $522 towards housing. Province-wide.
Disabled people don't have equitable access to transportation, let alone a roof under their head. Moving isn't the answer.
People on CERB (that is - the Canada Emergency Response Benefit) received CA$2000 a month as a baseline during the pandemic. ODSP recipients didn't receive any additional benefits.
We need to raise the amount of money that disabled Canadians receive monthly. Nobody can live on what is essentially just a smidge over $900 US a month anywhere in Canada.