The City has developed the below materials to support shelter staff and community partners involved in conducting the upcoming Streets Needs Assessment (SNA). Timelines for the 2024 SNA are as follows:

  • Indoor survey: October 21-25
  • Indoor and outdoor count: October 23
  • Outdoor survey: October 30

Questions regarding these materials or implementation of the Street Needs Assessment, should be directed to: sna@toronto.ca

SNA 101 Virtual Instructor-led Training

The SNA 101 virtual instructor-led session is mandatory training for staff involved in implementing the Street Needs Assessment. This training provides an overview of the background and context of the SNA, how to conduct the SNA, and best practices to engage with participants involved in the SNA.

Online Indigenous Cultural Safety Modules

Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC) has created the following online modules to help staff better understand the lived experience of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness in Toronto and offer guidance on how to engage with Indigenous people using trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive approaches. While mandatory for SNA site coordinators and survey leads, all staff are encouraged to complete the training to support ongoing development. The modules can be completed across multiple sittings.

Additional Resources

Justice Laws

Justice Laws provides online access to official copies of Canada’s statutes and regulations.

e-Laws

e-Laws provides online access to official copies of Ontario’s statutes and regulations.

Toronto Municipal Code

The Toronto Municipal Code is a compilation of by-laws organized by subject (e.g., animals, smoking, property standards, fences).

Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: It’s Your Duty

The Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA) recognizes that each of us has a responsibility for the welfare of children and a duty to report.

Housing Opportunities Toronto & the Toronto Housing Charter

The Toronto Housing Charter is a key component of the Housing Opportunities Toronto HOT Action Plan 2010-2020, adopted by City Council August 5, 2009.

The Charter is designed to guide Council and staff in their efforts to assist those who often face challenges finding affordable housing, from newcomers and single parents to seniors and those with disabilities.HOT contains 67 recommended actions to be undertaken by the City of Toronto and the federal and provincial governments. It calls for new investment of $484 million annually for the next 10 years to help 257,700 households struggling with high housing costs or inadequate accommodation.HOT will serve as a road map to guide federal and provincial investments, as well as public and private sector activity.

Housing Stability Services Planning Framework

The Housing Stability Service Planning Framework for Toronto Shelter and Support Services (formerly Shelter, Support and Housing Administration) was unanimously approved by Toronto City Council in December 2013.

Canada’s Food Guide

Learn about Canada’s food guides and find tools and resources (including translated versions and versions tailored for Indigenous communities) to help support healthy food choices.

Food Safety: A Guide for Ontario’s Food Handlers

Each province has its own provincial health acts and regulations. In Ontario, the Health Protection and Promotion Act, 1990 (HPPA) lays out the mandate to make regulations, programs and protocols which govern food premises. All health units/departments are responsible for the conditions and safety under which food is held, prepared and served to the public. This is also the responsibility of the food premises owner/operator and employees.

Read more about the Food Safety: A Guide for Ontario’s Food Handlers.

Infection Prevention and Control Guide for Homelessness Service Settings

The Infection Prevention and Control Guide for Homelessness Service Settings provides information and recommendations for homelessness service providers and workers on infection prevention and control (IPAC). IPAC is the use of evidence-based practices that when applied consistently, can reduce the risk of the spread of germs. Toronto Public Health has posted this document along with several supporting resources for the benefit of any homelessness service setting, like 24-Hour Respite Sites, drop-ins, etc.

Tuberculosis (TB) & Homeless Service Settings

It is important for homelessness service providers to understand TB. Homelessness service settings can often increase the chances of spreading TB. Read:

Bed bugs: A Handbook for Shelter Operators

Bed bugs are a pest and are common in transient populations. Bed bugs are found in hotels, motels, apartment buildings, rooming houses, dormitories and shelters. Read the full Bed bugs handbook for shelter operators.

Guidance Document for Harm Reduction in Shelter and Hotel Sites: A 10-Point Plan

The Works Harm Reduction Program at Toronto Public Health (TPH) developed the Guidance Document for Harm Reduction in Shelter and Hotel Sites: A 10-Point Plan to support shelter programs, including hotel sites, by providing a blueprint for the design and implementation of successful hotel and shelter based harm reduction programs in the context of the ongoing response to COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is aligned with Toronto Shelter and Support Services’ Harm Reduction Framework.

The 10-Point Plan was developed based on evidence, recommendations and practice emerging from:

TPH provides a variety of programs and services to reduce drug-related harm for people who use drugs, including preventing the spread of communicable diseases. Read the list of services provided by the The Works Harm Reduction Program.

The following list of resources is intended to support homelessness service providers in the implementation of the 10-Point Plan. New resources and supports will be added. The list includes resources aligned with specific components of the 10-Point Plan, harm reduction and overdose prevention training resources and links to background information and research on harm reduction.

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact us at 416-392-0929 or Karen.Tizzard@toronto.ca.

10-Point Plan Implementation Resources

Harm Reduction and Overdose Preparedness Site Assessment

Harm Reduction and Overdose Preparedness Site Assessment Tool (Toronto Shelter-Hotel Overdose Action Task Force) – tool to accompany facilitated site assessment process.

To schedule an assessment contact Karen.Tizzard@toronto.ca.

New

Harm Reduction Policy and Procedure Resources

The following harm reduction policy templates and guidance documents have been created to provide shelter providers with examples and resources to inform the critical elements that should be included in their policies and procedures. This will ensure that a harm reduction lens and approach is applied to all aspects of client care and service delivery across the homelessness sector.

  1. Harm Reduction Policy Guidance Document
  2. General Harm Reduction Policy Template
  3. Overdose Prevention Policy Template
  4. Overdose Response & Naloxone Administration Policy Template
  5. Handling & Disposing of Sharps Policy Template

Overdose Prevention Health Promotion Materials

Download and print these materials to use at your site

Virtual/Remote Overdose Prevention and Response Tools

Promote these overdose prevention programs for clients at your site

Conducting Wellness Checks

Guidance and Tips for Client Wellness Assessments in Homeless Service Settings: A resource to support staff working at a City-funded shelter, hotel or Respite Site to monitor client wellness using a harm reduction, trauma informed approach.

Engaging People Who Use Drugs in Harm Reduction Work

Resources to support engagement with people with lived experience in harm reduction planning, design and work

Establishing Supervised Consumption Services (SCS)

Information on the establishing safe, supervised consumption services

Accessing Harm Reduction Supplies

Information on where to access harm reduction supplies, including the onboarding process with The Works to become a harm reduction partner (i.e. for harm reduction supplies and naloxone to distribute to clients)

Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Training Resources

Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention Training

Harm Reduction Resource and Background Resources

Harm Reduction

Shelter Harm Reduction Research Papers

Safe Supply

Reporting the Death of a Shelter Resident Guidebook

A death of a shelter resident is considered reportable to Toronto Shelter and Support Services. Learn how to properly document and report an incident by reading the Reporting the Death of a Shelter Resident Guidebook.

SMIS Resources

SMIS related resources are designed to assist SMIS users. SMIS eliminates time-consuming manual tasks and paper forms, streamlining certain administrative functions of homelessness service providers and improving client services.

Requests for Personal Information by Police Officers

Records containing personal information may be disclosed to police officers or other law enforcement agents under Section 32 (g) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

City staff must follow the steps outlined in this document when completing the Law Enforcement Request for Personal Information Form. The form is used to provide access to records containing personal information to law enforcement agencies, while still protecting the rights of our clients

Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines

The Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines provides recommendations for best practices in the design, build or renovation of shelters in Toronto. Updated in 2023, the Guidelines span a broad range of areas from design principles to functional components of the building, environmental design, and material and finishes.

Environmental Control Best Practices: Guidelines to Reduce TB Transmission in Homeless Shelters and Drop-In Centres

The Environmental Control Best Practices helps homelessness service providers in Toronto implement the means to proactively reduce TB transmission risk by the use of environmental control measures.

Housekeeping Manual for Municipally Operated Shelters

The Housekeeping Manual for Municipally Operated Shelters provides guidelines regarding the provision of housekeeping services in MOS with the objective of ensuring a clean, safe and healthy environment for staff, clients and the public. It is also intended to help MOS meet requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Toronto Shelter Standards.

Infection Prevention and Control Guide for Homelessness Service Settings

Toronto Public Health has posted this document along with several supporting resources, which contain specific guidance around cleaning and disinfection for the benefit of any homelessness service setting, like 24-Hour Respite Sites, drop-ins, etc.

Bed bugs: A Handbook for Shelter Operators

Bed bugs are a pest and are common in transient populations. Bed bugs are found in hotels, motels, apartment buildings, rooming houses, dormitories and shelters. Read the full Bed bugs handbook for shelter operators.

This information sheet explains the use of police reference checks (PRC) as part of the hiring process for the City’s Toronto Shelter and Support Services division. City Council authorized the use of a PRC as an assessment tool when hiring people or placing volunteers/students to work directly with homeless individuals and families.