Toronto city council has voted against opening 24/7 warming centres immediately, and instead voted in favour of asking other levels of government for more financial support to help those experiencing homelessness.
On Wednesday, city council continued its meeting that began on Tuesday to discuss the recommendation made by the Toronto Board of Health last month to provide warming centres year-round and to declare a homeless crisis in the city.
But instead, 15 of the 26 city councillors, including Mayor John Tory, voted in favour of amended recommendations, suggested by Scarborough Centre Counc. Michael Thompson.
His recommendations include calling on the provincial government to require all large municipalities in Ontario to provide shelter space proportionate to their population, and for the federal government to provide funding and support for refugees seeking emergency shelter in Toronto.
In addition, city staff are being asked to report the feasibility of providing 24/7 drop-in spaces either at city-run facilities or at locations provided by community/faith-based institutions.
City staff is set to report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee on April 25, according to a news release issued after the vote.
“I welcome Council’s recommendation to explore how the criteria for Warming Centres can be examined to maximize days Warming Centres can serve those in need,” Mayor John Tory said in a statement.
“I remain focused on working with Council and other orders of government to build as much supportive and deeply affordable housing as possible to create long-term sustainable pathways out of homelessness for our most vulnerable residents,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eglinton-Lawrence Counc. Mike Colle’s recommendation to explore using available space in churches, mosques, gurdwaras, temples, and synagogues as warming centres was approved by council today.
After the votes were made, Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo, who has advocated for more support for unhoused individuals, tweeted she shares many Torontonians’ “frustration.”
“While 14 Councillors & Mayor voted against the Board of Health’s recommendation for overnight warming centres and to name the crisis we face, 11 of us voted for action. This is only the start. We regroup and we keep going,” she said Wednesday afternoon.
Spadina-Fort York Counc. Ausma Malik called the decision “irresponsible.”
“Council’s choice to vote against the Board of Health’s recommendations to declare homelessness a public health crisis, and to provide 24/7 warming spaces, was irresponsible. Safety, health & lives are put at risk by this choice. Our work continues,” she tweeted.
Toronto-based doctor Nadeed Dosani said council’s majority vote on rejecting the board of health’s recommendations is “disgusting.”
“The City of Toronto has officially voted against implementing 24/7 warming centres to protect unhoused people from suffering & freezing to death. The way this city treats unhoused people is just disgusting,” he said.
There are currently four warming centres in the city which open when an extreme cold weather alert is issued by the city’s medical officer of health based on a forecast from Environment Canada of -15 C or colder, or a wind chill of -20 C or colder.
