Location: 66 Third St.
Demographic: Adults of all genders, including couples
Anticipated capacity: 80 people
Estimated opening date: 2028-2030
The City of Toronto has secured 66 Third St. 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 Public Progress to lead engagement.
Homelessness is experienced in all corners of Toronto. Shelters are needed across the city to support people who are facing an immediate housing crisis and may be staying in parks, or other public spaces, to get the services they need to find and secure housing.
Staff assessed 100 sites across Toronto to see if they met the City’s criteria for shelter use.
In 2023, the Toronto Parking Authority reviewed its assets to determine which ones were surplus to operational needs. Through this exercise, it was determined that the parking lot at 66 Third St. was no longer required. CreateTO, an agency that manages the City’s real estate holdings, then conducted a thorough evaluation and determined that the lot would be best used as a shelter location when considering the City’s needs.
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 not allowed in areas zoned exclusively for employment or industrial uses and are typically located in residential areas, 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 66 Third St. 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.
All shelter sites are staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week and offer outcome-focused supports to help clients 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.
At this time, the City is working to confirm a service provider. More information will be posted once the operator is selected.
The City is committed to working with the community to support the success of the site.
The City has hired Community Engagement Facilitator Public Progress 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.
Should you have specific questions about the site: