Toronto released its winter homeless plan. Is it in line with feds' 10 year plan?
Nov 10, 2026
AI Generated·May contain errors
It was a milder-than-usual fall
but temperatures in Toronto are starting to drop
and officials at City Hall are preparing
in an effort to find somewhere indoors
for the thousands of people experiencing homelessness
to sleep when the winter hits.
We've set up a winter plan this year that's actually a bit bigger than
our last year's winter program.
What's different this year is there's actually more
supportive housing opportunities for people to move into.
There are roughly 7,000 spaces in Toronto's shelter system,
Which normally operates at full capacity.
So City Hall is adding just over 500 new shelter beds,
almost 600 supportive and subsidised housing units,
and 254 warming centre spaces,
because people also need to stay warm during the day.
Outreach teams and more emergency spaces will be deployed as well
when temperatures hit minus 15.
The plan comes as the number of people experiencing homelessness
in Toronto appears to be falling.
The city says the number of encampments is down roughly 40 percent
and homelessness overall is down by about 20 percent.
Still, the city says it has to stay ready.
Some of the other indicators with respect
to where we are as a city and the province
are great. Food bank use is through the roof.
We're seeing more people at food banks than we
ever have before, so we need to be prepared.
Tana says the winter is also an opportunity.
To try and convince people
who've been on the streets a long time to come inside.
Although he acknowledged some may never accept the offer.
Hello.
Toronto's plan comes after the federal government earmarked billions
for the ambitious promise of ending homelessness across
the country within a decade.
Part of that plan will mean expanding
a pilot project led by a Toronto doctor.
It's called the Dunn-House model,
treating full-time housing as a medical prescription,
with impressive results so far.
The parts that are distinct around Dunn-House
is this real integration of health care and
housing coming together as permanent housing
that people hold a lease like you or me.
It's not transitional.
As part of its plan to eradicate rough sleeping,
Ottawa says it will spend $11.2 billion over the next four years.
The money has been welcomed by officials here at City Hall,
who are still pushing for more funding,
particularly as they brace for the
provincial government to reduce some
of the money it sends to deal with homelessness.
Isaac Callan, CBC News, Toronto.

