Toronto City Council Declares Homelessness Emergency and Adjusts Warming Centre Activation Criteria

The Toronto City Council has officially declared homelessness as an emergency within the city and has agreed to revise the criteria for activating warming centres during the winter months.

During its meeting on Friday, the council voted to open warming centres when the temperature drops to -5°C or colder, or when Environment Canada issues warnings for freezing rain, snow squalls, winter storms, snowfall, and blizzards.

Previously, the city opened warming centres when the temperature reached -15°C or when the wind chill made it feel like -20°C. The change means that warming centres could now be operational for an average of 19 additional days per year. However, the availability of space, staffing, and funding will determine the actual opening of these centres, according to the city’s news release.

The declaration of homelessness as an emergency, approved by the city’s economic and community development committee prior to council approval, is primarily symbolic but aims to highlight the urgency of the crisis in Toronto and the need for improved measures.

The city clarified that the emergency declaration does not immediately allocate additional funds or resources from other levels of government.

According to the city’s data, over the last three months, a total of 10,811 people have been identified as “actively homeless” in Toronto. On Thursday night alone, more than 8,800 individuals utilized emergency homeless shelters.

Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie emphasized the city’s commitment to addressing homelessness, stating that Toronto will continue to collaborate with the provincial and federal governments in constructing housing, providing safe shelter, and facilitating the transition of residents from homelessness to supportive homes.

While expressing gratitude towards the provincial and federal governments, McKelvie stressed the need for continued joint efforts, involving community partners, to ensure that those in need have access to shelter, housing, and health support.

Council also approved additional changes proposed by city staff regarding winter services planning. These changes include establishing a new inter-divisional city agency working group to identify publicly and privately owned locations suitable as warming centres and 24-hour respite sites.

The city emphasized its requirement for financial support from other levels of government to open and operate warming centres starting January 1, 2024. It was decided that the federal and provincial governments will be requested to allocate $5 million to enable the continuation of winter services beyond December 31, 2023.

Furthermore, the city intends to ask the provincial and federal governments to increase the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) by $20 million in 2023-2024. This additional funding will assist 1,600 to 2,000 households in transitioning from the shelter system to permanent housing. The COHB is a portable housing benefit program that helps individuals access long-term housing.

Councillor Shelley Carroll, chair of the economic and community development committee, emphasized the importance of implementing the plan approved by the council on Friday. Carroll stressed the necessity of securing more locations for warming centres, improving access to existing shelter supports, and actively pursuing the construction of supportive and accessible housing.

Toronto now joins other cities in Ontario that have declared homelessness as an emergency. Hamilton, for example, declared a state of emergency related to homelessness, opioid addiction, and mental health on April 12.