Location: 2535 Gerrard St. E.
Demographic: Adults of all genders, including couples
Anticipated capacity: 80 people
Estimated opening date: 2027
Service Operator: Warden Woods Community Centre
The City of Toronto has secured 2535 Gerrard St. E. for use as a municipal shelter that will provide critical services to help individuals experiencing homelessness move toward permanent housing.
The shelter is part of the City’s Council-approved Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy, which aims to open up to 20 new shelters citywide by 2033. These sites will help respond to demand and stabilize the shelter system. Learn more about the Strategy.
The City is committed to working with the local community to support the success of the site and has hired Community Engagement Facilitator Third Party Public to lead engagement. Sign-up to receive e-updates as the project progresses. Community Bulletins with answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the Working with the Community tab below.
The City held a Virtual Community Consultation Session on May 28 for members of the community to discuss proposed amendments to the Zoning By-law to permit a 1-storey residential building at 2535 Gerrard St. E., which will be used for the shelter program. While a municipal shelter is already permitted on the land, an amendment is required to allow for the proposed built form. View the application details.
Members of the community are invited to attend an in-person engagement session to discuss the amendments and shelter design:
Toronto City Council directed staff to expand overnight services outside the downtown core, including in Scarborough, following recommendations from the Coroner’s jury into the death of Grant Faulker who died due to a lack of services in the area. According to the City’s 2021 Street Needs Assessment, 30 per cent of people unsheltered outdoors were staying in Scarborough.
Staff assessed 100 sites across Toronto, including 17 in Scarborough, to see if they met the City’s criteria for shelter use. 2535 Gerrard St. E. was the only site in Scarborough deemed suitable for use at this time.
The new shelter in Scarborough will provide a place for individuals who are in immediate housing crisis and may be sleeping outside in parks, or other areas, to get the services they need to find and secure housing as quickly as possible.
There are a limited number of available areas in Toronto that meet the size, budget and zoning requirements needed to be a municipal shelter. Shelters are often close to libraries, schools, community centres and health care services.
City Council has delegated authority to staff to approve and develop new locations for shelters and 24-hour respite sites. This is to ensure the City can work quickly to respond to shelter system pressures and provide critical supports to as many people as possible. It also helps to accelerate and depoliticize the shelter development process, which is consistent with a human-rights based approach to housing and related services for vulnerable residents.
The shelter at 2535 Gerrard St. E. will serve approximately 80 adults of all genders, including couples, and will be purpose-built to meet the needs of clients and integrate into the surrounding community. Learn more about new shelter design.
The shelter program will be operated by Warden Woods Community Centre, an organization that has been working collaboratively to meet the needs and interests of local communities in Southwest Scarborough since 1970. The site will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will provide critical shelter and wrap-around support services for approximately 80 mixed adults, helping them to improve their well-being and stabilize their lives.
Services will include:
Referrals to the program will be made through the City’s telephone-based Central Intake service.
The City is committed to working with the community to support the success of the site.
The City has hired Third Party Public to lead the community engagement process. This includes providing ongoing shelter updates, responding to questions, and working collaboratively with the City and local community members to collectively problem-solve concerns that may arise.
Residents are invited to sign-up to get email updates as the project progresses.
The City held an information session on January 21 to enable members of the community to learn more about the new shelter service and ask questions.
The following have been created to provide timely updates on the shelter location and program, and answers to frequently asked questions:
Should you have further questions, please email 2535Gerrard@gmail.com.