As temperatures drop and shelters fill up, concern mounts for Toronto’s homeless
TORONTO — As much of Ontario faces extreme cold weather, concern is mounting for the well-being of Toronto’s homeless population, which numbers in the thousands.
The city has set a target rate of 90 per cent occupancy for homeless shelters. But Saturday night, when the temperature with the wind chill was down to -29 C, occupancy was at an average rate of 95 per cent. Some services, including family shelters, were full.
Many temporary facilities have been set up to provide relief during the winter months, when shelter occupancy tends to spike. But temporary shelters are not required to meet the same service standards as permanent facilities. Not all of the sites have showers, and most don’t offer support services like counselling or case management.
“It’s a catastrophe,” said Cathy Crowe, a street nurse who works to provide services for homeless people. In a phone interview from a temporary shelter in the city’s east end — she didn’t want to identify it, for fear that describing its conditions might cause the city to shut it down — Crowe described a scene of chaos and neglect.