What to know
- Toronto is adding 1,533 shelter and housing spaces this winter, an 18 per cent increase from last year. This includes 588 permanent supportive and subsidized housing units, 505 new 24-hour respite spaces, 254 warming centre spaces and 186 surge capacity spaces for extreme cold.
- The city’s winter response will include additional street outreach teams distributing warm clothing, sleeping bags and other cold-weather supplies. Daytime drop-in programs will also extend their hours by 252 hours weekly, offering food, health care, showers, laundry and recreational activities.
- The winter services will run from Nov. 15 to April 15, 2027. Toronto currently accommodates nearly 7,000 people nightly, down from approximately 9,000 last year. Encampments have also declined by 67 per cent, from 353 tents in October 2025 to about 118 in October 2026.
- Since Jan. 1, 2026, the city’s Streets to Homes program has made 461 shelter referrals, while more than 4,158 people have moved into permanent housing over the past year. Toronto is also planning 1,600 additional long-term shelter spaces, with progress dependent on stable funding from all three levels of government.
More than 1,500 shelters are expected to open this winter in preparation to support the homeless population during cold and unsafe conditions in Toronto this season.
It’s part of the city’s annual Winter Services Plan for People Experiencing Homelessness.
This year’s plan looks to add 1,533 additional shelter and housing spaces, which is an 18 per cent increase compared to last winter.
These shelters are expected to focus on providing emergency relief, while also helping people transition into permanent housing.
Up to 588 of the shelters will be permanent supportive, subsidized housing units, while around 505 will be new shelters that would work as 24-hour winter respite spaces.
Additionally, 254 warming centre spaces will be activated across five locations when temperatures reach -5 C or during any winter weather warnings.
Another 186 shelters will act as “surge capacity spaces.” These are not part of the permanent, year-round shelter bed count, but will become available during extreme cold weather, especially when temperatures reach around -15 C.
The city also said they plan to have additional street outreach teams on the ground during extreme cold weather, in an effort to encourage people to find shelter inside.
These outreach workers will also provide warm clothing, sleeping bags, and other cold-weather supplies throughout the winter.
As part of the plan, several daytime drop-in programs will also extend their operating hours to provide an extra 252 hours of service weekly. These programs will offer access to food, health care, showers, laundry and recreational activities.
These resources are set to be available for people experiencing homelessness from this Sunday, Nov. 15, to Thursday, Apr. 15, 2027.
Homelessness conditions in Toronto
The winter plan comes as Toronto continues to face a homelessness crisis due to unaffordable housing as well as a lack of income supports and unmet health needs.
Despite this, the city stated the number of people needing homelessness services has decreased since the 2024 Street Needs Assessment.
Toronto is currently providing accommodations to almost 7,000 people every night. This is down from around 9,000 last year, according to the city.
The number of encampments has also declined by around 67 per cent. More than 353 tents in October 2025 have shrunk to about 118 just a year later.
Since Jan. 1, 2026, the city’s Streets to Homes program has made 461 shelter referrals from multiple encampment locations. More than 4,158 people also moved from the shelter system into permanent housing over the past year.
A new report from Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office found homelessness across the province increased by 17.9 per cent between 2022 and 2025, while Toronto experienced an 8.2 per cent decrease.
Beyond its seasonal winter response, the city said they are also working to develop 1,600 long-term shelter spaces through its Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy.
This continued progress is expected to depend on stable funding agreements between all three levels of government, according to the city.
The full Winter Services Plan, including warming centre locations and other available supports, can be found on the city’s website.
