Toronto is aiming to open at least one Black-mandated shelter, and some Toronto-based shelter workers think it is a step in the right direction for the shelter system.
The City of Toronto took applications from Black-mandated non-profit organizations and groups after council expressed its commitment to creating a shelter designed to support Black Torontonians experiencing homelessness.
The application process, known as an expression of interest (EOI), ended on May 30 and aims to develop at least one Black-mandated shelter through the city’s Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS).
Once a site has been secured, the HSCIS aims to develop the Black-mandated shelter to accommodate between 70-100 spaces within three to five years, and up to 1,600 new shelter spaces across 20 new shelter sites by 2033.
“Through the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy, the City has committed to creating a Black-mandated shelter that provides culturally appropriate services for Black people experiencing homelessness,” according to the EOI.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Black-mandated (also referred to as B3) organizations and groups were assessed based on the criteria of being Black led, Black-focused, Black-serving, accountable and trustworthy, and their ability to demonstrate financial capacity, among other criteria.
The city also encouraged collaborative proposals, allowing multiple organizations to partner in providing services to the new shelter.
In addition, the initiative corresponds with HSCIS’ broader efforts to transition the shelter system from an “emergency-focused pandemic response” to a long-term, proactive and responsive system which supports recovery and stability for all.
Meanwhile, staff working within the Toronto shelter system underscored the importance of a Black-mandated-specific shelter.
“It is necessary. You know, it can go towards kind of strengthening our community and resilience, connecting people to legal aid, employment, healthcare, helping individuals transition to long-term housing, and again, building the community,” Raysel Walford, a shelter support worker in Toronto, told Now Toronto on Tuesday.
WHY MAKE A BLACK-MANDATED SHELTER?
The move aligns with the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, a strategy approved by city council in 2017, created to help address systemic barriers faced by the Black community in Toronto while providing equitable policies, programs and services.
“They often face distinct kinds of challenges, including racial profiling, barriers to employment and housing, mental health, you know, linked to trauma,” Walford said.
Black Torontonians remain overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness, making up 31 per cent of the homeless population despite representing nine per cent of the city’s overall population, according to a 2021 City of Toronto Street Needs Assessment.
Creating a culturally responsive shelter would provide Black people experiencing homelessness with comprehensive linguistic assistance, culturally reflective staffing, and services that encompass the needs of the community, according to Walford.
THE CHALLENGES OF CREATING A BLACK-MANDATED SHELTER
Despite the city’s actionable steps toward restructuring Toronto’s shelter system, some are expressing their concerns about racial exclusion online.
“Why are non-Black homeless people a group that we should guard resources from?” one Reddit user said.
“Why would a shelter need to be only Black?” another user added.
But the initiative is the start of something new, Walford says, while another front-line shelter worker views the move as a necessary step toward expanding and diversifying shelter services for all Torontonians experiencing homelessness.
“I feel like maybe other cultures may not understand why we have a Black-focused shelter. So, there’s a little bit of like, ‘oh, it’s not fair. What about the community? What about the other communities,’ you know? Which is fair,” Khyonna Kapri, a community shelter worker, told Now Toronto on Tuesday.
“This shelter isn’t about excluding anyone for sure. It’s just more targeted culturally, for people who’ve historically been overlooked. You know?” Kapri added.
One other challenge is confronting the status quo of the existing shelter system, according to Walford.
“The existing shelter system has been widely criticized for being under-resourced, overcrowded, and not responsive to the diverse needs of Toronto’s population, especially Black, Indigenous, and other racialized people. So, I mean, I see it [Black-mandated shelter] transcending the status quo,” Walford added.
WHAT THE SHELTER MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY
For many in the community, the initiative feels long overdue. “I think it means that, you know, we’re finally just kind of being heard,” Walford said.
Walford is hopeful that the Black-mandated shelter will reduce the number of Black individuals, newcomers, and refugees turned away at shelter doors.
“They’re coming in and hoping for a better life and you know, the kind of instance that they’re at, they’re getting turned away and it’s frustrating,” Walford added.
Designing the Black-mandated shelter in a way that both reflects and understands the lived experiences of Black Torontonians experiencing homelessness, along with creating a sense of trust and healing, is a hope for Kapri.
“We need to heal to move forward,” Kapri added.
Meanwhile, Kapri is hopeful that the Black-mandated shelter – along with the other shelters to be developed in accordance with HSCIS – will remain for years to come, citing her excitement for all upcoming shelter developments.
“It’s actually on my calendar, 2033.”
