101 Placer Crt.

Call 311 or Central Intake at 416-338-4766, 1-877-338-3398 toll-free.

In 2018, in response to increased demand for shelter services, City Council directed Toronto Shelter and Support Services (formerly Shelter, Support and Housing Administration) to expand the number of permanent new shelter beds in Toronto by 1,000.  In 2020, this funding was changed to include both housing and shelter projects and renamed the Housing & Shelter Infrastructure Development (HSID) project. 101 Placer Court was chosen as a shelter site as part of this Council direction.

Homes First Society is operating and leading shelter services at this site. Homes First Society has been providing supportive housing and shelter services for over 35 years. They are one of the largest providers of services to people experiencing homelessness in Toronto.

Homes First front-line Community Shelter Workers assist shelter residents through intake, and provide referrals, crisis management, trauma-informed care, harm reduction supports, and general day-to-day support.

Homes First’s Intensive Case Management (ICM) team includes Housing Help Workers and Life Skills Workers. This ICM team also includes a Community Engagement & Programs Coordinator whose role is to develop engaging programming and partnerships for residents, as well as to respond to external community questions and concerns.

External agencies also work to provide primary care and health care supports to shelter residents. 

The shelter also features a community space for programming, events, community partners, workshops and volunteer engagement. 

Community safety is a priority for the City whenever new services open. Ongoing safety planning is a key component of the community engagement process. Homes First staff bring management practices that have proven successful and all staff are trained on de-escalation, conflict resolution and crisis prevention, intervention and management.

The following safety measures are in place at 101 Placer to support the shelter residents and community:

• Regular rounds of the property by staff to ensure the safety of the residents and ensure that the grounds are kept safe and clean.
• Homes First shelter resident clean-up crew go out multiple times per week to do a sweep of the property and surrounding area.
• Controlled access to building by Homes First staff.
• Internal and external cameras installed around the building and at all entrance points.

It is important to remember that people using shelter services are equal citizens of the city. They can move around communities and use amenities such as parks and public benches like all residents in our collective city. And like all residents, they are also expected to conduct themselves within the rules/laws and by-laws.

Shelter residents are expected to be respectful community members and follow what Homes First describes as a “Good Neighbour Policy” which is outlined to residents upon intake. This policy is informed by feedback from community stakeholders in the area and failure to follow these expectations can result in temporary or permanent discharge from the shelter.

The non-emergency police number at 416-808-2222 | 416-467-0493 (TTY) should be used to report crimes where no person is in immediate danger (for example, theft, vandalism, fraud). In an emergency, call 911 (for example, crimes in progress, fires.)

The City’s community engagement and planning process for shelters is focused on how communities can support and improve the success of the new service, and not the specific location of the site.

The City hired a community engagement team who gathered input from the community and shared information about the shelter program at 101 Placer Court.

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
• Option to establish a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) or other activities

Community Engagement Session

• Meeting recording
• Presentation slide deck
• Meeting summary

Community Outreach

The community engagement team (Dept of Words & Deeds, led by facilitator Jane Farrow) met with local organizations, businesses, residents and community groups to answer questions, respond to concerns and gauge interest in forming a Community Liaison Committee. Because of physical distancing restrictions, the majority of engagement event took place online.

Community Liaison Committee (CLC)

A Community Liaison Committee may be set up to provide a link between the staff at the site and the broader community. The role of the CLC will be to:

• foster and maintain positive relationships between the community, the service operator, and service partners to support the successful transition of the shelter into the community
• facilitate information sharing and dialogue
• identify and address any issues, concerns and opportunities related to building operations