The Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines was released in January 2021, after a collaborative process with a diverse group of stakeholders. The guidelines are a living document, with a commitment to annual review.
Throughout the fall of 2021, the City is conducting a broad review of the Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines as part of the commitment to annually re-examine the document. Early 2022, focused sessions will be held for equity deserving groups as part of the 2022 review. Feedback and input is welcomed through both a survey and the focus group discussions. The objectives of the review are:
You are invited to participate in the survey on Checkmarket that will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete to provide any feedback and comments. The survey is open until November 30, 2021.
The City is organizing virtual sessions with key stakeholders, including equity-deserving groups. Each session will be interactive, approximately 2 hours and will be facilitated by a third-party consultant. Interested participants are invited to register for one of the sessions at the relevant links below. Participants for sessions for accessibility groups, the Black community, the Indigenous community and 2SLGBTQ+ groups are being sent individual invitations. If you self-identify as being part of one of these groups, or work extensively with one of these groups, please email ShelterDesignGuidelines@toronto.ca to be included in those sessions.
Please click on the relevant session below to register. Please note that participants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the key sections in the Shelter Design and Technical Guidelines identified below in advance of the focus group discussion. Download the Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines
| Date | Time | Session Name | Key Sections for Session | How to Register |
| October 27, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Facilities and Architects |
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Registration link for Facilities and Architects’ session Registration closes at 12:00 p.m. on October 25. |
| November 2, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Shelter Staff & Operators (non-property staff) |
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Registration link for Shelter Staff & Operators (non-property staff) Registration closes at 12:00 p.m. on October 28. |
| November 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Community groups, partner agencies and health groups |
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Registration link for Community groups, partner agencies and health groups Registration closes at 12:00 p.m. on November 12. |
| Q4 2021 | TBD | Accessibility Groups | TBD | Email ShelterDesignGuidelines@toronto.ca |
| Q1 2022 | TBD | Black community | TBD | Email ShelterDesignGuidelines@toronto.ca |
| Q1 2022 | TBD | Indigenous community | TBD | Email ShelterDesignGuidelines@toronto.ca |
| Q1 2022 | TBD | 2SLGBTQ+ groups | TBD | Email ShelterDesignGuidelines@toronto.ca |
Shelter residents will be invited to provide input at locations that were constructed utilizing the Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines.
The Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines was released in January 2021, after a collaborative process with a diverse group of stakeholders, including equity-deserving groups who are over-represented in the shelter system. The guidelines are a living document that provides for best practices in the design of shelters in Toronto. It is intended to enhance positive outcomes and experiences for the shelter users, staff and the community in new and renovated shelters through designs that promote dignity, comfort and choice for the clients.
The recommendations include criteria spanning a broad range of areas, from design approaches and principles, through to functional components of the building, environmental design and materials and finishes.
The Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines are of greatest value in the development of new shelters, but may also influence design decisions in the renovation of existing shelters.
Download the Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines .
We would like to thank the many people, agencies and stakeholders who shared their time and expertise in contributing to the Shelter Design & Technical Guidelines. We wish to thank them all for their shared insights.