20 Milner Business Court

Location: 20 Milner Business Crt.
Shelter residents: Women
Number of rooms: up to 103
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 Crt. in Scarborough North (Ward 23), has been leased by the City of Toronto to act as an emergency shelter site.

Learn more about the City’s plan for homelessness services as part of the response to COVID-19.

People experiencing homelessness who access emergency shelter have a range of different support needs. The shelter program at 20 Milner Crt. is delivered directly by the Shelter, Support & Housing Administration division at the City of Toronto and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The program provides meals, laundry and wrap-around support for shelter residents, including:

  • recreational and social engagement programming
  • counsellors/case managers who work with clients to develop permanent housing plans
  • assessments and referrals to other community services, as needed
  • access to physical health and mental health supports

Services are for program residents only and are not available on drop-in basis.

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 was not 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 hired a community engagement team who gathered input from the community and shared information about the temporary shelter program at 20 Milner Business Crt.

The community engagement plan included:

  • reviewing and responding to feedback on key issues from the community
  • project updates and outreach as required
  • virtual stakeholder meetings for representatives of local resident associations, businesses, institutions and community groups