Update on City of Toronto homelessness services
TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2018 /CNW/ - City of Toronto staff continue to actively monitor and respond to the need for homelessness services across the city.
With increased demand for services as Toronto residents continue to face this stretch of unprecedented cold weather, staff activated contingency plans yesterday morning. Activation went smoothly with the opening of the Moss Park Armoury as of 7 p.m. last night. With this, and the increases in warming centre and respite capacity, as well as additional outreach teams on the road overnight, there were services available for everyone wanting a warm and safe place to go.
As the overflow warming centre service established yesterday at Wellesley Community Centre was not required (there was one person there at 4 a.m. this morning), warming centre services will be closed at this location today. Therefore, the facility will be returned to its primary purpose of community-based programming.
The warming centre services at Metro Hall and Regent Park Community Centre continue to be available until further notice on a 24/7 basis.
At 4 a.m. this morning:
Warming centres
- Warming centres were activated as a temporary service response and remain available until further notice
- Metro Hall saw 35 people
- Regent Park Community Centre saw 67. Capacity is180.
Moss Park Armoury temporary site operating 24/7 for approximately two weeks while a site is readied for continuous service to April 15.
- 26 people on site. Capacity is 100.
Winter respite drop-ins
- Six sites were busy and there were spaces for all who requested service
- 160 people at the Better Living Centre Site. Capacity is 200.
Last night, the number of outreach teams was increased and supported through the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift with dedicated paramedic teams. They encountered 44 individuals, only three of whom accepted offers of service. Teams received many concerned citizen calls and thank the public.
Extreme Cold Weather Alerts activate additional services that focus on getting and keeping vulnerable residents inside. These include additional shelter beds, notification to community agencies to relax any service restrictions, availability of transit tokens in some drop-ins, and overnight street outreach and transportation to services. Call 311 for service locations and updates or check the web app at toronto.ca/homelesshelp.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms and on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto.
SOURCE City of Toronto
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