City to open 5 winter respite sites for Toronto's homeless

The city will open five 24-hour respite sites in Toronto this winterto try and keep people experiencing homelessness safe.

The sites will be funded and co-ordinated by the city, but not-for-profit community organizations will take care of their operation. They will be open24 hours a day, seven days a week starting Nov. 15. The service will continueuntil mid-April of next year at the following locations:

• Downtown West 25 Augusta Ave.
• Downtown Central 21 Park Rd.
• Downtown East 323DundasSt. E.
• Scarborough705 Progress Ave., Unit 29
• Parkdale location TBA

City officials said they hope the respite sites will get more people off the streets, even if it's only for thenight.

• Homeless shelter demand rising in Ontario as facilities close

"That's exactly why we're providing a different kind of service with these winter respite sites," said PaulRaftis,general manager of the city'sshelter, support and housing administration.

"They are low-barrier services that are really focused for folks who traditionally would not typically go to a regular shelter program."

The announcement comes on the heels of city data that shows the shelter system was at 97 per cent capacity on Wednesday.

The city said this winter's respite site plan is markedly different from previous years. In 2014 and 2015, sites were only open when thecity's medical officer of health issuedan extreme cold weather alert.

There were three sites available last winter, officials noted, but they were open for fewer days and had fewer spaces. Overnight sheltersfrequently had to turn people away last winter due to highdemand.

"The shelter system is very busy, and demand for these services continues to grow," Raftis said.

Getting people off the street

Earlier this month, CBC Toronto spoke with a man living in a homeless campunderneath theGardinerExpressway.A small community of people living in tents and under tarpssprang up at the base ofSpadina Avenuejust a few months after police cleared it away.

"If you're in a shelter you're dealing with other people, you're dealing with mental health issues, you're dealing with staff," said Derek, who did not provide his last name.

• Homeless camp under Gardiner soldiers on through rain, floods, police tickets

Hesaid other people in the camp worry about safety and the security of their possessions in shelters.

"Here I get up and do my thing and I don't bother anybody."

Raftissaid besides winter respite sites, the city is also sending street outreach workers out to try and get people experiencing homelessness housed.

Raftisadmitted there have been "incidents at shelters," but maintains they are safe.

The city also launched Homeless Help, a map-basedtool to help those experiencing homelessness find shelters, drop-ins, a place to get a meal, and housing help.