Developing Shelter Sites

Read stories from people with lived experience of homelessness and how shelters have helped them.

Homelessness is experienced in all areas of the city by individuals from all backgrounds, circumstances and ages.

The number of people becoming homeless continues to outpace the number of people moving out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

To meet that need and get better value for public dollars, the City is working to open up to 20 new shelter sites by 2033, guided by the City’s 10-year Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS).

The City continues to experience unprecedented demand for shelter space. The housing and affordability crises, insufficient mental health supports, income supports that haven’t kept pace with the rising cost of living, and the record number of refugee claimants arriving in need of emergency shelter are all contributing to the strain on the emergency shelter system.

Shelters in the city:

  • provide essential support to individuals in immediate housing crisis
  • act as a stepping stone to permanent housing
  • reduce reliance on other high-cost services (e.g. emergency rooms)
  • bring people indoors, providing an alternative to sleeping in parks (encampments), sidewalks, or transit stations

Many shelter residents are working but can’t afford rent. Shelters provide critical services to help individuals experiencing homelessness gain stability as they work toward permanent housing.

Over the next 10 years, the City is developing up to 20 permanent and purpose-built shelters, with a focus on expanding outside of the downtown core where there are gaps in available services. Developing new shelters will help respond to demand and allow the City to gradually move out of more costly temporary shelter hotels, helping to achieve important cost savings. It will also allow the City to grow the shelter system in areas with significant need, such as families, youth, Black-led and Indigenous focused spaces.

New shelter sites will be thoughtfully designed to meet the diverse needs of Toronto’s homeless population and support integration into the surrounding communities. Shelters will be smaller, with approximately 80 spaces, to promote dignity, comfort and prepare residents for independent living. Sites will be more accessible, and feature on-site meal preparation, fewer beds per room, communal dining and program areas, and outdoor spaces, in addition to on-site wrap-around supports.

Each shelter will be built with intent for possible conversion into housing in the future should demand for emergency shelter spaces decrease.

See what the new sites will look like.

City Council has delegated authority to staff to approve and develop new locations so that the City can quickly respond to shelter system pressures and ensure as many people as possible can access critical services and supports.
The City is being intentional about how these sites are selected and developed. To be considered as a potential new shelter service, sites must meet shelter by-law, minimum sizing and budget requirements.

Wrap-around supports must either be in the area or developed on site at the shelter. Locations must be located across the city, as the need is Toronto-wide.

Communities and neighbours are an important part of making these projects successful.

The City offers a comprehensive community engagement process that invites residents and businesses to take an active role in discussing how to best support and integrate a new shelter service into the neighbourhood.

Once a site is secured, the City hires a third-party community engagement facilitator to lead the community engagement process. This includes:

  • providing ongoing shelter updates
  • organizing meetings with the public and/or key stakeholders
  • responding to questions and concerns
  • working collaboratively with the City, local Councillor and members of the community to ensure the new shelter is well integrated into the community

The City is committed to engaging communities and focusing efforts on how best to support and integrate shelters into each neighbourhood.

Below is a list of shelters with active community engagement. See location-specific webpages below for more information about these shelters and details on how residents can get involved.

Site Expected to Open Project Type
Indigenous Youth Shelter Open Expansion
629 Adelaide St. W. Q2 2025 Relocation
2299 Dundas St. W. Q4 2025 Relocation
545 Lake Shore Blvd. W. Open Temporary Shelter
67 Adelaide St. E. 2025 Expansion
2035 Kennedy Rd. Open Temporary Shelter
185 Yorkland Blvd. Open Temporary Shelter
1677 Wilson Ave. Open Temporary Shelter
233 Carlton St. Q2 2025 Relocation
25 Canterbury Place Q2 2025 Reopening
2535 Gerrard St. E. 2027 New
1615 Dufferin St. 2027 New
2204-2212 Eglinton Ave. W. 2028-2030 New
68 Sheppard Ave. 2028-2030 New
66 Third St. 2028-2030 New
1220 Wilson Ave. 2028-2030 New