2024.EC9.4

Background

“[T]he need for emergency shelter is significantly greater than the current capacity of the system. This is due to insufficient affordable housing supply, increased costs of living, inadequate wage and income supports, and an increase in the number of refugee claimants arriving in Toronto.” Worsening effects of climate change have already manifested themselves in Toronto through extreme weather events including heat waves and extreme cold, leaving unhoused people particularly vulnerable. “Nearly half (48%) of the shelter system spaces are held on sites with agreements and leases that end by December 2024. [...] Most of these contractual agreements are expiring, and the cost of leasing temporary sites has risen significantly due to inflation and other factors [...] The City developed the 2024-2029 Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS) to proactively inform capital spending decisions to promote recovery and stability in the City's shelter system.”

Source: City of Toronto

Item Description

This item sought to further the agenda of the HSCIS’s real estate strategy — focused on expediting redevelopment of existing city owned sites and acquiring new sites for permanent shelters, a transition plan for COVID-19 shelter sites, and facilitating housing options to transition people out of the housing system. In particular, this item includes examples like “approv[ing] pre-development and pre-construction costs for renovation/conversion/construction of properties into shelter related facilities” and “negotiat[ing] and approv[ing] the acquisition of real estate interests for the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy.” Further efforts support safety and substance abuse management plans. 

Source: City of Toronto

Proposed by

Economic and Community Development Committee

Additional Details

A failed amendment was introduced by Councillor Anthony Peruza including: “1. City Council adopt the confidential instructions to staff contained in the confidential attachment to this motion. 2. City Council authorize the public release of the confidential attachment to this motion, at the conclusion of this meeting.” Part 1 was supported by only James Pasternak and Anthony Perruzza and part 2 by Stephen Holyday and Anthony Perruzza.. The confidential nature of this info makes the contents unclear for analysis.