Location: 2035 Kennedy Rd.
Shelter residents: Adults of all genders
Number of beds: up to 412
Opened: May 2020
Service Operator: Homes First Society
The City of Toronto secured 2035 Kennedy Rd. in 2020 through a Request for Proposal to provide additional capacity in the shelter system by using hotel spaces, as needed.
Toronto City Council has directed the City to transition the program to support refugee claimants and prioritize closure of the site by the end of 2025. The City and onsite service provider, Homes First, are working together to create a transition plan that addresses the needs of clients who rely on the program. The goal is to ensure the most positive outcomes for clients and the broader community.
Staff from the City and Homes First held a virtual Community Information Session on June 24, 2024 to provide an update on the shelter, including work to transition the program to support refugee claimants and gradually close the site by the end of 2025. Staff also provided an update on efforts to respond to community concerns, enhance public safety and support the success of the site. Thank you to everyone who attended the session. View the staff presentation from the meeting.
The shelter program at 2035 Kennedy Rd. is operated by Homes First Society, a charitable organization that has been providing supportive housing and shelter services to Toronto residents for over 35 years, with a focus on the chronically homeless, people with complex mental health and substance use needs, and seniors.
The program is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering wrap-around support for shelter residents, including:
Staff have also partnered with The Neighbourhood Group to provide housing and settlement services to refugee claimants in the program and are coordinating day trips to help newcomers become more familiar with the city and build connections to the community.
The program at 2035 Kennedy Rd. features Intensive Case Management Workers who help shelter clients to develop permanent housing plans, coordinate medical services, obtain identification, access income, file taxes and attend appointments.
Other services offered through coordination with partner agencies include:
The Mobile Shelter Support Program (MSSP) is a community designed response to the opioid crisis, where people with lived experience of homelessness and who have experience with drug use provide support to shelter residents. People at risk of overdose can use their drugs in front of, and with the support of, a MSSP peer worker who is trained in overdose prevention and response measures like administering Naloxone, oxygen and CPR, and who can call emergency services if needed.
Learn more about the City’s Integrated Prevention & Harm Reduction Initiative (iPHARE) in the shelter system and about overdoses in homelessness service settings.
Staff are working to transition the shelter program at 2035 Kennedy Rd. by admitting refugee claimants to vacant spaces as they become available. There can be many reasons a space can become vacant. For example, an individual may move into housing, reunify with family or friends, be referred to another shelter program that better meets their needs, or choose to leave on their own.
Gradually admitting refugees to spaces, only as individuals leave, helps to meet Council direction and ensure staff can continue to provide critical services to existing clients as they work toward permanent housing.
The City is working collaboratively with Homes First to develop a 12-month decommissioning plan that focuses on supporting as many people as possible to move into permanent housing.
New admissions to the program will cease near the end of October 2024.
City staff and Homes First housing workers have been working with clients to support housing applications and documentation to get them housing ready, and this work will continue. Where possible, eligible clients will be matched with available housing and support opportunities that meet their needs, preferences and goals.
For those not transitioning to housing, staff will work with clients to develop relocation plans to ensure they are moved to an appropriate shelter program with wrap-around supports.
All relocations to housing or shelter are planned to be completed by October 2025, so that the City and partners can remove equipment and return the site to the landlord prior to December 31, 2025.
The City is committed to working with Homes First, the local Councillor, partners and members of the community to support the success of the site.
A Community Liaison Committee (CLC), made up of representatives from the community (resident associations, businesses, and community organizations), has been established to share information and work together to discuss and collective problem solve community concerns.
The City and partners held a Virtual Community Information Session on June 24, 2024 to share an update on the program – see more at the top of the page.
Other past community events include:
Safety and security is a priority for the City and Homes First, and staff are working to ensure the temporary shelter program at 2035 Kennedy Rd. is a good neighbour.
Homes First continues to work with Toronto Police, as well as Toronto Shelter and Support Services and Corporate Security at the City of Toronto to develop ongoing community safety measures for the location. All Home First staff are trained on de-escalation, conflict resolution and crisis prevention, intervention and management.
Safety measures implemented onsite include 10 security guards that provide 24/7 security, along with security cameras. Security guards patrol the property, including the interior, exterior and the connected parking structure.
Three Community Safety Teams (CSTs) patrol the area and neighbouring parks. Wearing yellow vests, they engage with shelter residents and members of the community off property and address safety concerns, such as discarded needles. Areas they patrol include:
Patrols of the Agincourt Community were added in April 2024 following community concerns, specifically surrounding Agincourt Mall and Plaza. CST staff are also conducting patrols along West Highland Creek Watershed and referring encampments to the City’s Encampment Office so that street outreach staff can be dispatched to connect with individuals to offer services, supports and indoor referrals. Learn more about the City’s approach to encampments.
The City has established monthly touchpoints with Toronto Police 42 Division to review results collected by the CSTs.
Community members are encouraged to view the “Who to Contact” tab to better understand who to contact to discuss safety issues in their community they feel need to be addressed.
To discuss community engagement, site inquiries and community concerns related to the shelter:
Community Safety Team: One Community Solutions
Central Intake: 416-397-5637
For general inquiries related to homelessness:
3-1-1
Toronto Police Non-Emergency: 416-808-2222 | 416-467-0493 (TTY)
Toronto Police Online Reporting: