Location: 68 Sheppard Ave. W.
Demographic: Indigenous women and children
Anticipated capacity: Approximately 80 people
Estimated opening date: 2028-2030
Service Operator: Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto
The City of Toronto has secured 68 Sheppard Ave. W. to help Indigenous women and children experiencing homelessness move toward permanent housing. It will be the first municipal shelter of its kind to offer these critical services.
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 Mihevc Consulting and Mediation to lead engagement. More information, including a Bulletin with answers to frequently asked questions, can be found in the Working with the Community tab below.
Members of the community are invited to learn more about the shelter program, ask questions and meet staff who will be running the site.
Residents can send questions in advance of the meeting to 68sheppard@gmail.com.
Indigenous homelessness continues to be a significant issue in Toronto, as Indigenous peoples are overrepresented. The shelter at 68 Sheppard Ave. W. will be the first municipal shelter to provide spaces and services to support Indigenous women and children experiencing homelessness.
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 68 Sheppard Ave. W. was no longer required. CreateTO, an agency that manages City’s real estate holdings, then conducted a thorough evaluation and determined that the lot would be best used as a shelter location.
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.
Shelters are typically located in residential areas, close to libraries, schools, community centres and health care services.
There are a limited number of available areas in Toronto that meet the size, budget and zoning requirements needed to be a municipal shelter. At the time of selection, staff assessed more than 100 sites across Toronto to determine if they met the City’s criteria for shelter use.
The City has initiated a Zoning By-law Amendment to accommodate a 6-storey building, containing a municipal shelter at 68 Sheppard Ave. W.
While a municipal shelter is already a permitted use of the land, an amendment is required to allow for the proposed built form. View the application details.
Residents can provide feedback on the development proposal by completing this online survey. Responses are due by July 10.
A Virtual Community Consultation Session on the Zoning By-law Amendment was also held on May 28.
The shelter at 68 Sheppard Ave. W. will be the City’s first municipal shelter for Indigenous women experiencing homelessness, helping them to improve their well-being and find and keep stable housing as quickly as possible.
The shelter will serve approximately 80 women and children, and will be purpose-built to meet their needs and integrate into the surrounding community. Learn more about new shelter design.
Once operational, the program will be staffed 24 hours a day and will provide all meals and laundry, on-site medical care, and specialized cultural programming for Indigenous women and their children. Case managers will work with
women so that they can build housing plans. The program will also provide important wrap-around services, such as income supports, employment and education training, and referrals to other community services. All of this will be offered through a cultural lens, rooted in healing and elevating Indigenous women.
Referrals to the program will be made through the City’s telephone-based Central Intake service.
Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto provides a safe and welcoming environment for all Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, Métis) women and their children in the Greater Toronto Area. NWRCT’s programs offer wrap-around
blanket services to address and support basic needs, housing, families, advocacy, employment, education, healing from trauma, access to ceremonies and traditional healers.
NWRCT recently celebrated 40 years of community service, reminding women of their sacred power, and providing a safe space for Indigenous women to heal, grow and reconnect to their culture. Learn more about the organization.
The City is committed to working with the community to support the success of the site.
The City has hired Community Engagement Facilitator Mihevc Consulting and Mediation 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.
A Community Information Session was held on December 17, 2024. Answers to questions asked at the session, along with questions received via email, can be found in this Community Bulletin.
Should you have further questions about the site, please email 68sheppard@gmail.com.