Christmas census planned for homeless in Canada

By Sam Rogers

Canada's federal government is planning on carrying out a nation wide census on homelessness.   It has been two years since the census was last updated in 2022. In that previous study the Department of Infrastructure recorded over 105,000 homeless people in Canada with approximately 31,000 in the throes of chronic homelessness. Chronic homelessness being an individual who has been on the street for at least a year and is impeded by other factors such as mental illness or drug addiction. The current census is expected to be published by the end of 2024.

According to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Office, homelessness has increased by upwards of 20% since 2018; with this statistic in mind, a new census on homelessness in Canada is sorely needed. However, there are practical issues with this. Considering most homeless people do not have a fixed address, how accurate can this census be? Are there homeless people falling through the cracks?

 

This census will be more accurate

According to Anastasia Kemp from the GTA based Youth in Shelter organization, she believes that the upcoming census will be more accurate than the last. She states that the census questions she received for Youth in Shelter were "fairly thought out" and "would give a fair representation of homelessness in the GTA". However, she does concede that some "hidden homeless", like couch surfers for example, will be difficult to record in the upcoming census.

As for right here in the GTA, a diagram provided by the city of Toronto shows that in the past 3 months there has been over 10,000 people actively homeless in the GTA, with 434 newly identified in the month of October. With December around the corner, the question of homelessness in Canada becomes more urgent as the cold Canadian winter looms.

By: Muqaddas Ashfaq
In the face of Toronto's growing housing and homelessness crisis, Covenant House Toronto is expanding its Youth winter respite program, a service offering 24/7 support to youth experiencing homelessness. Running from November to April, the program provides a safe place to sleep, meals, and access to healthcare, mental health support, education, and employment resources.

The program includes 30 beds, with the ability to expand to 45 during extra cold weather. It complements Covenant House's regular programming, which provides 105 round crises shelter beds and supports 205 youth through community-based housing programs.

"I am so proud of the young people and the youth who were involved in the program last year. Our youth went to Respite Program extended care to 150 young people who otherwise had nowhere to go in the winter", said Mark Aston, Executive director of Covenant House Toronto.

"This program not just providing shelter—it’s a life-saving refuge that connects young people to services that help them move forward and break the cycle of homelessness.”

Last year, Covenant House’s drop-in center saw up to 100 youth daily seeking food, clean clothes, and a safe space, with many arriving in the afternoon looking for somewhere to sleep. The organization also recorded a 35% rise in demand for mental health services.

 

Hidden Homeless

Youth make up approximately 12% of Toronto’s homeless population, with over 1,000 young people in the city’s shelter system each night. However, the true number is likely higher due to hidden homelessness, where youth stay in temporary or unsafe accommodations.
“Winter is especially difficult for young people experiencing homelessness,” Aston added. “Finding warmth, safety, and basic necessities is a daily struggle. Our program not only meets these immediate needs but also helps youth build their future in a caring and supportive environment.”
Initially launched two years ago with donor funding, the Youth Winter Respite Program is now supported by the City of Toronto’s Winter Services Plan. It is the only city-funded program specifically for homeless youth.
“We’re so pleased to partner with Covenant House Toronto to offer youth experiencing homelessness a warm and safe place to stay this winter,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “Programs like this are critical to keeping our most vulnerable residents safe as we face increasing demand for shelter and housing in our city.”

Winter Services Plan for homelessness brings more services than in previous years, but it is still not enough.

By Alejandra Jimenez

It is a fact that the number of people in need of shelter and housing in Toronto has continued to grow due to the housing crisis, inadequate income support, lack of affordable housing, and increased costs of living. With this, the head of shelter and support services for the city, Gord Tanner, told at a news conference in October that seasonal plans cannot fully address the increasing demand as an average of 223 people are turned away each night because demand is currently more significant than the system can accommodate.

However, the City of Toronto recognizes that more shelter spaces are required to support people moving from homelessness into housing, even more so during cold weather. According to the release published in October of this year, the City is working with all orders of government to add shelter spaces, affordable housing, and social supports to better meet the needs of Torontonians.

The Winter Services Plan will expand temporary shelter capacity, activate four warming centers, and move people to supportive housing and open surge capacity. According to Chair, Economic and Community Development Committee Councillor Alejandra Bravo, the City of Toronto seeks to implement respite spaces and expand hours at daytime drop-in locations. Also, the plan aims to expand the Refugee House model to provide shelter and housing services that best meet the diverse needs of different people.

What's available

Approximately 1,200 shelter system and housing spaces will be open until Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The Winter Services Plan incorporates the following:

- Adding 530 temporary spaces in the shelter system.

- Activating 218 spaces in four Warming Centres when temperatures reach minus five degrees Celsius.

- Bringing up to 286 new supportive homes and available social housing units.

- Dispatching additional street outreach teams during extreme cold weather.

- Additional warming centers and 164 shelter spaces should be provided when the temperature reaches minus 15 degrees Celsius or lower.

Warming centers will remain open for 24 hours. They will provide a place to rest, access meals, washroom facilities, and referrals to emergency shelters with additional support. They are at 136 Spadina Rd, 75 Elizabeth St, 12 Holmes Ave, 885 Scarborough Golf Club Rd, 58 Cecil St.

Councillor Alejandra Bravo stated in a publication on the City of Toronto, “It’s a good start, but the money to bring on new families ends in April 2025. We need a dedicated, long-term commitment that meets the level of need. We need to continue to explore new partnerships.”