New Shelter Design

New shelter sites will be thoughtfully designed to meet the diverse needs of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto and support integration into the surrounding communities. Shelters will be purpose built to promote dignity, comfort and prepare residents for independent living.

New sites will:

  • Serve approximately 80 people, featuring fewer beds per room
  • Have thoughtfully designed exteriors to help integrate into surrounding communities
  • Include space for on-site meal preparation, along with communal dining and program rooms
  • Be designed to be less institutional and more home-like, featuring natural materials and amenity spaces
  • Feature inclusive design that considers demographics of the shelter, such as colours, art and symbols to make people of different backgrounds feel welcome
  • Accommodate pets and be accessible
  • Support health and wellness through the inclusion of flexible on-site spaces for counselling, primary and mental health care services
  • Follow trauma-informed design principles by considering the mental and emotional well-being of shelter residents, providing clear lines of sight and reducing or removing stressors, where possible
  • Provide outdoor restorative amenity spaces to support programming and enable shelter residents to connect with nature and each other
  • Where possible, include shared space that can be used by the community

Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines

The Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines provide best practices to assist those designing and building shelters or undertaking major shelter renovations in Toronto. The Guidelines are intended to respond to the evolving needs of those experiencing homelessness, and enhance positive outcomes for all shelter users, staff, visitors and the surrounding community in new and renovated shelters.

Recommendations in the Guidelines span a broad range of areas from design principles to functional components of the building, environmental design, and materials and finishes. They were launched in 2021, after a collaborative process with a wide range of stakeholders, including Indigenous people, Black people, people of colour, 2SLGBTQ+, individuals with accessibility needs, and youth experiencing homelessness.

The Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines is a living document, intended to be reviewed and updated periodically based on ongoing consultation with service users and other key stakeholders.

Download the Guidelines