Toronto adding spaces for hundreds of people in homeless shelter system this winter

Thestar.com
November 7, 2019
May Warren

The city will add almost 500 new spaces for homeless people looking for a place to sleep as the temperature drops, including 200 beds in a new North York building devoted to refugees.

The new spots were announced as part of Toronto’s winter plan for homelessness, which rolled out Wednesday.

Gord Tanner, director of homelessness initiatives and prevention services, said it’s the sixth winter in a row the city has scaled up services.

“Despite continually adding new capacity to the shelter system the occupancy rate remains really unchanged, around 98-99 per cent,” he said, adding they run close to 8,000 beds a night during the coldest months.

“But certainly the system continues to be very full and we’re working with a lot of people.”

The 485 new spaces are in addition to the existing 414 spots at 24-hour respite sites, which offer easy access to basic services including meals and a place to rest. That makes a total of 899 spaces available as part of the winter plan.

The biggest boost to shelter space comes from converting a former North York hydro building at 5800 Yonge St. into a shelter for 200 single refugees. According to the city, the building owner, Times Group Corporation, approached the city with an offer to let it lease the 7,400-square-foot property. It will be operated by Homes First Society.

The number of refugees and asylum-seekers coming to Toronto has jumped since 2016, which has had a huge impact on the shelter system. According to October 2019 numbers, they make up 36 per cent of all users in the permanent shelter system.

“The plan this year is all about bringing abut some very specific services for unique population groups,” Tanner said.

“Refugees are quite overrepresented in the shelter population, and so that program at Yonge and Finch will be very much tailored to the unique needs of single refugee claimants.”

Three new prefabricated structures that were added as part of last season’s winter plan, will continue operating, Tanner said, but there are no plans to expand them.

“They have been very well used, last winter as well as throughout the summer time,” he said.

“It’s been a program that has provided an important low-barrier service to people who experience homelessness in the city.”

Activists repeatedly called for more and better shelter and respite centre beds last winter, and a makeshift camp under the Gardiner Expressway was removed by the city in March. Already, as temperatures start to drop, tents have sprung up in different locations around Toronto.

Tanner said the city will be monitoring shelter use and demand daily through a new 24-hour system oversight office.

“We put a lot of thought into the winter plan this year but obviously we will be monitoring the shelter use and demand for shelter space daily through some enhancements that we’ve made,” he said.

Extreme cold weather will also trigger more services, including increased street outreach teams, and using Metro Hall facility as a warming centre, added Tanner.