Toronto councillors, residents call for more transparency on where city puts new shelters

As Toronto moves to rapidly expand the number of homeless shelters in the next decade, some councillors and ratepayers groups are warning that in their haste, city bureaucrats are unfairly shutting out the public from the site selection process.

At issue is a city policy that allows staff to unilaterally establish a homeless shelter without the approval of local residents, or the ward councillor.

"People have a right to ask questions about [new shelter locations] and right now we don't have that transparency," said Coun. Stephen Holyday, who learned several weeks ago — after the deal was in the works — that staff planned to buy a Bloor Street W. property in his ward and convert it into a shelter for 65 homeless women.

The policy was approved by councillors in 2017. But it's coming under increased scrutiny as staff unveil the locations of 20 new shelters the city plans to open throughout Toronto by 2033.

Staff say the need is urgent: according to the city's website, there are about 12,000 people currently being housed in temporary shelters, and hotels — an expensive answer to a growing problem. A late 2023 report said the city was receiving an average of 291 calls a day from people looking for shelter space who had to be turned away.

That year, the city unveiled its plan to create 20 new, smaller permanent shelters, each of which would have about 80 beds and cater to particular needs.

But staff are not revealing the locations of the new shelters — even to the local councillors whose wards will be home to them — until plans are finalized.

That's to "de-politicize the selection process and allow staff to address the growing homelessness emergency quickly," according to an email from city spokesperson Loretta Ramadhin.

In December 2024, staff revealed a list of the first six planned new shelters. Although neighbourhood groups and individuals had an opportunity to comment on the planned shelters, they had no say in the locations. And that didn't sit well well with some.

Ron Parkinson of the residents group Scarborough United Neighbourhoods, said it's not enough for staff to hold public consultations after a site has been selected.

"Don't come and tell us there's a fire when the house has burned down," he said.

Late last month, a seventh site — the 3838 Bloor Street W. location in Holyday's ward — was revealed.

Holyday introduced a motion at the last council meeting, on June 26, calling on staff to put the power to approve a new shelter's location back in the hands of council.

That motion wasn't approved by councillors, meaning it now passes to the economic and community development committee for debate.

But later in the same meeting, Coun. James Pastenak introduced a similar motion, which passed, calling on staff to re-think the way the public is consulted on shelters once a location has been established.

"We must do better when it comes to addressing public concerns and making sure they feel part of the process," Pasternak told council. "We're increasingly ignoring the people who support us."

Pasternak told CBC Toronto this week that he agrees that councillors and the public should have more say in site selection. Under the current system, he's briefed by city staff before a site is announced but he can't divulge that information to the public.

"It puts me in a tough position with my constituents because I can't tell them very much, and they expect me to," Pasternak said.

Holyday also argued that no other development site would be planned by the city in secret.

"The public just simply wants to be involved," Holyday said. "Whether it's a development, whether it's a change to a road, the foundation of democracy is inviting the people that reside in the city to take part."

But other councillors backed the current system, arguing the need for new shelters is so great that staff needs to be able to determine suitable sites and get shovels in the ground quickly.

"There is a rising tide of fury among my constituents over encampments," Coun. Dianne Saxe told the June 26 council meeting.

Later, in an interview with CBC Toronto, Saxe said the increased homelessness since the pandemic and a subsequent influx of refugees has put the city in a position where it has to build new shelters beds quickly, whether people want them in their neighbourhoods or not.

"People don't have the right to select their neighbours," she said. "But I do understand the concern about not creating social disorder."

She said the new style of permanent, purpose built shelters should avoid that disorder.

"Some of those shelter hotels were disastrous, both for the people living in them and the people living around them," she said. "But the smaller shelters have been really well-run ... They're good neighbours."