Toronto will be providing additional shelter spaces for those experiencing homelessness this winter, as the city’s shelter system continues to see extreme demand.
The city revealed its winter services plan for unhoused individuals on Tuesday, which includes up to 530 new temporary spaces in shelters and surge capacity during extreme cold weather.
In total, approximately 1,200 new shelter and housing spaces will be available from Nov. 15 to Apr. 15.
“Toronto continues to see extreme pressures on our emergency shelter system. From the inflated cost of living, a lack of affordable housing, desperately inadequate wages [and] income supports, as well as an increase in the number of refugee claimants arriving in Toronto,” Toronto shelter and support services general manager Gord Tanner said at Tuesday’s press conference.
More than 200 spaces across four warming centres spread throughout the city will also be available once temperatures reach below minus five degrees Celsius, or when Environment and Climate Change Canada issues a winter weather event warning.
Warming centres provide a place to rest, access to meals, washroom facilities and referrals to emergency shelters.
The city will also be opening 164 surge capacity spaces — including an additional warming centre — when temperatures fall to minus 15 degrees.
The Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place will once again be used as a 24-7 winter respite centre, opening in mid-December.
While the additional shelter spaces, warming centres and new housing will help many in need throughout the winter, the city acknowledged the seasonal plan will not be able to address the ever-increasing demand for a warm place to stay the night.
More than 12,200 individuals are being supported across the shelter system and in bridging hotels nightly. Upwards of half of those in municipal shelters are refugee claimants.
“Each night there are approximately 223 people that call our central intake line that are unable to match to a shelter bed,” Tanner explained. “The shelter system is operating at capacity each night.”
Toronto will be providing funding to create 200 more spaces within refugee houses, 100 of which are expected to open this winter. These settings provide refugee-specific support and connections to settlement services.
The city also plans on deploying more street outreach teams during bouts of extreme cold to encourage unhoused people to pick up warmer clothing and a sleeping bag.
“Enhancing our homelessness services during the winter is critical. We put people at the heart of the work we do,” Tanner said.
