Expecting to house 10K in its shelter system every night, Toronto begs for more money

Officials in Toronto are calling for more federal funding to help accommodate almost 10,000 people in the city’s shelter system nightly over the winter period.

Staff said Toronto has seen a 44-per cent increase in the number of people using its shelter system since September 2021.

On Dec. 17, the city gave temporary beds to 9,370 people overnight.

“I expect in the depths of this winter, we’ll be sheltering in the shelter system close to 10,000 people,” Gord Tanner, Toronto’s general manager of shelter, support and housing administration, said Wednesday.

He said the number of refugee claimants is rising and the rate of people in Toronto seeking shelter is falling.

Tanner said that two years ago, there were around 500 refugee claimants in Toronto’s system, rising to 4,045 on Dec. 17. He said that, while efforts were being made to find refugee claimants permanent housing, they were entering the system at “twice the rate than we can support them to move into permanent housing.”

The number of refugee claimants has risen since COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, he said.

“What you’ve heard today is the City of Toronto stretching again to meet this demand,” Coun. Alejandra Bravo said.

As it struggles to keep up with demand, Toronto has opened some new spaces.

On Thursday, for example, the city is set to open more shelter beds at Exhibition Place’s Better Living Centre, but the temporary respite will only be available until March.

Even temporary solutions, however, could be under threat.

Tanner said he and his staff fear a provincial commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars may disappear if Ottawa doesn’t step up. As part of the new Toronto deal between Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford, Queen’s Park promised $600 million over three years for non-refugee homelessness support.

Without a commitment to match from Ottawa, Tanner said the province could remove that support.

“The long-term sustainability of those programs is at risk,” Tanner explained, adding he was “very grateful” for the provincial promise.

He said he was “very grateful” for funds promised by the Ford government but desperate to see a federal commitment to secure them.

Global News contacted the federal government for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

Reiterating a call Toronto has made repeatedly through the year, Tanner said local property taxpayers are taking on a “significant’ amount of the city’s shelter costs, which are at an “unprecedented level.”