Meeting Crisis with Opportunity: Reimagining Toronto’s Shelter System

The Impact of COVID-19 on Toronto’s 24 Hour Emergency Homelessness System

Vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, have been hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Toronto, a rapid emergency response to protect homeless populations was undertaken, resulting in a significant restructuring of the 24-hour emergency homelessness system (shelter system). In order to document the impact of this transformation, the Toronto Shelter Network (TSN), in partnership with Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services (Dixon Hall) embarked on a six-month exploratory study called “Meeting Crisis with Opportunity: Reimagining Toronto’s Shelter System”.

TSN is an umbrella organization that is composed of approximately 35 member organizations that together operate more than 100 emergency shelter, respite, 24-hour drop-in and COVID-19 response programs. TSN believes that housing is a human right and envisions a City where everyone has a home that enables them to live with dignity.

Meeting Crisis with Opportunity was funded by the Social Development, Finance and Administration (SDFA) department at the City of Toronto. The study aimed to achieve the following objectives:

  • To better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the shelter system.
  • To describe the experiences of shelter users (clients)3 since the onset of COVID-19, and to better understand the impact the pandemic has had on diverse populations using Toronto’s shelter system, including those who moved into hotels and those who remained in legacy4 shelters and respites.
  • To develop recommendations that will help guide homelessness service providers and decision makers to develop sound and actionable short- and long-term strategies for improving emergency homelessness services.

This report identifies findings and highlights considerations that can improve the delivery of housing and homelessness services and supports for people in Toronto, build capacity and infrastructure for future waves of COVID-19 and other emergencies and inform the permanent transition of the shelter system into one that is people-centered and housing-focused.

Publication Date: 
2021
Location: 
Toronto, Ontario, Canada