This deputation was presented to Toronto’s Economic and Community Development Committee on June 9, 2025 in response to item EC22.3 - Highlights of the 2024 Street Needs Assessment and advancing the City's Shelter Infrastructure in Toronto by Melissa Wong, Director, Engagement & Strategic Initiatives. The item was adopted by the committee with amendments.
Good morning, Chair Councilor Bravo and members of the Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Melissa from Social Planning Toronto (SPT), and I’m here to express strong support for the City’s efforts to expand shelter infrastructure and to urge urgency and investment in the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy.
The 2024 Street Needs Assessment paints a sobering picture: as of October 23, more than 15,400 people were experiencing homelessness in Toronto. That includes 1,615 people outdoors, 1,499 in provincial institutions, and over 12,000 in the shelter system. Refugees made up nearly half of those in shelters.
We know the drivers: housing costs have soared; for example, bachelor rents have increased by 62% in the past 10 years, while shelter allowances have barely budged. Eviction and income loss are the top causes. And the impacts are not felt equally: Equity-seeking groups are disproportionately represented.
In this context, the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy is a lifeline. The plan to add 1,600 permanent, purpose-built shelter spaces across 20 new sites is not only welcome but essential. These smaller, community-integrated shelters are safer, more accessible, and offer pathways to permanent housing.
But progress is fragile. Of the total $674 million cost, only $258 million has been funded to date. We urge the City to continue advocating for full federal support and to move with urgency.
Meanwhile, the crisis deepens as climate change compounds the risk; this year alone, Toronto faced wind chills of -35 °C and a humidex of +46 °C. Encampments cannot protect people from frostbite, heat stroke, or flooding.
Some have proposed micro-shelters as a solution. While they may work on a limited basis, the City’s analysis shows that land constraints and competing priorities make them largely unfeasible. The largest suitable site identified could host just 20 units, compared to 80 beds in a full shelter on the same land.
Shelters are not a complete solution, but they are a critical step. They offer safety, stability, and connection to housing, health, and harm reduction supports. And they save lives.
Please fully support this infrastructure strategy, expedite the development of permanent shelters, and ensure that services are designed with and for those most affected.
Thank you for your time and consideration.