Location: 20 Milner Business Court
Shelter residents: Women
Number of rooms: 100 (with possibility of up to 146 rooms)
Opened: May 2021
Service operator: City of Toronto
As part of the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for physical distancing in the shelter system, 20 Milner Business Court, in Scarborough North (Ward 23), has been leased by the City of Toronto to act as an emergency support, temporary shelter hotel.
Learn more about the City’s plan for homelessness services as part of the response to COVID-19.
Thank you to everyone who participated in and watched the 20 Milner Business Court Information Session on May 13, 2021.
Starting the week of May 17, 20 Milner Business Crt., has been used to relocate a City-operated women’s shelter program that opened at 2685 Kingston Rd. in Spring 2020 as part of the response to COVID-19. The City is committing to 100 rooms, but it could be increased to 146 rooms as needed. The City’s lease at 2685 Kingston Rd. ended on May 31, 2021.
The program at 20 Milner Business Crt. is delivered directly by the Shelter, Support & Housing Administration division at the City of Toronto. The shelter provides counselling and supportive programming. Many wrap-around supports are provided for clients at 20 Milner Business Crt., including:
The City typically engages the community in advance of opening a new shelter to provide information about the program and support its successful integration into the community. This has not been possible for many of the temporary sites due to the speed at which the City has had to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City must work quickly to save lives, protect the most vulnerable, and minimize the spread of COVID-19 in shelters and the community. The City hired a community engagement team who gathered input from the community and sharing information about temporary shelter program at 20 Milner Business Crt.
The community engagement plan included:
Because of physical distancing restrictions, all engagement activities took place online and over the phone rather than in person.