Toronto Unveils Winter Plan for Unhoused, Advocates Express Concerns Over Adequacy
Toronto city officials have released their winter plan to support people experiencing homelessness, but community advocates warn the strategy falls short of adequately addressing the ongoing crisis.The plan focuses on increasing shelter capacity and outreach, but critics say a lack of funding and essential resources will leave many vulnerable individuals exposed to the cold.
according to city data released Thursday, 8,925 people used Toronto’s shelter system. The city estimates 9,637 people are ”actively homeless” in Toronto, with an average of 148 people turned away nightly in September due to insufficient shelter space.
city spokesperson Gord Tanner stated the city aims to maintain its current pace of assisting people through the shelter system and reducing length of stay, but emphasized the need for sustained financial support. “We want to continue at this pace, keep the momentum going and increase the flow of people through our shelter system so the times that they’re staying with us gets reduced,” Tanner said, adding it depends on “consistent and ongoing funding from both the federal government and the provincial government, both for capital programs to build new stock, but also, the vital support dollars to help people once they move in.”
Though, Diana Chan McNally, a community worker, argues the plan lacks crucial elements. “We simply do not have the revenue, tools and resources available to us to actually… address homelessness as we see it in the city,” Chan mcnally said. She specifically highlighted the absence of a transportation plan, noting that even when programs are available, individuals may lack the funds for TTC fare.”We are suggesting to them, get on the TTC, go there, but they may not actually have the fare. So there’s always some kind of barrier for people to be accessing these programs,” she explained. Chan McNally also called for increased funding from the provincial and federal governments.
The city reports a decrease in both the number of refugee claimants and encampments compared to last year. Demand for shelter space has eased, with approximately 8,925 people sheltered nightly, down from around 12,000 at this time last year. The number of encampments has also fallen, from over 500 last year to roughly 330 this month.
Mayor Olivia Chow affirmed the city’s preparedness for winter, stating, “We are ready for winter.We are continuously – these streets to homes workers - bringing people indoors, because that is where they belong.”
CBC Toronto reached out to the provincial and federal governments for comment but had not received a response as of Thursday.
