24-Hour Respite Sites Infrastructure & Service Improvement

New 24-hour respite sites are being created in response to high occupancy in the permanent shelter system and the growing need for homelessness services. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, sites accept pets, provide a safe place to rest, get a meal, and find service referrals. All sites welcome people who are transgender or gender non-binary.

Lower barriers to service make respite sites more accessible, especially to those who are vulnerable and who may not otherwise access conventional shelter services. 24-hour respite sites act as points of entry for clients to get into our system and take their first steps to finding permanent housing. Shelters in comparison, require commitments from clients, such as working with a case manager on a housing plan or employment strategy.

Our existing shelter system is near capacity and more service is required to make sure that there is sufficient space for everyone who needs it. The City must act now to ensure we can provide all people who need it with a warm/cool, dry place to sleep and programs to help them out. The City has a plan to add 1,000 new shelter beds to the existing system.

24-hour respite sites have been operating since fall 2017. Visit Homeless Help for a complete list of locations.

Review the A to Z glossary for more information on Shelter, Support & Housing Administration services are defined.

New Locations

To provide high-quality, accessible respite services in 2018/2019, City staff secured three 24-hour respite site Sprung structures, with an option for a fourth. These can be operational in locations across the City as part of the 2018/2019 Winter Respite Plan. The 24-hour respite sites were provided by Sprung and built by BLT Construction Services.

Each of these new 24-hour respite sites have a Community & Client Engagement Coordinator who is responsible for proactively responding to and addressing local concerns. Residents are encouraged to contact their Coordinator for any operational issues relating to their immediate 24-hour respite site.