The City is committed to a people-first, human rights-based approach to help connect those living outside and in encampments with shelter and housing. Outreach efforts at these locations focus on engaging with individuals to build trusting relationships, help address immediate health and safety needs and find permanent housing.
The City uses a multi-divisional approach to respond to the complex needs of those living outdoors. Outreach staff work to facilitate access to indoor spaces, housing and wrap-around supports while clean-up crews remove waste and debris and ensure parks and other shared-use spaces are accessible to all.
A staff report outlining the City’s strategic approach to encampments was adopted with amendments by City Council on June 26.
Should you see someone experiencing homelessness who may need outreach support, please contact 311. Staff will continue to visit the location to connect with the individual, monitor their needs and offer available services.
The City’s response to encampments is led by the Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) division.
The Encampment Office resides within TSSS’ Outreach and Access Section and, in partnership with other City Divisions and community agencies and stakeholders, works to provide public, social and health-related supports to people experiencing homelessness in encampments.
The role of the Encampment Office is to respond to encampments by:
The Encampment Office chairs, and is supported by, the Encampment Working Group, a multi-divisional group made up of staff from Toronto Shelter and Support Services, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Solid Waste Management Services, Corporate Security, Toronto Fire Services and Transportations Services.
Outreach services play a crucial role in the City’s response to encampments, ensuring that the needs and well-being of people living in encampments remain a priority and that people are able to participate, where possible, in decisions that directly impact them.
When determined appropriate and contingent on the availability of resources, the City will bringing comprehensive social and health services directly to heavily encamped public spaces. This enhanced, housing-focused approach is based on the “Dufferin Grove Park model” initially implemented in 2021 and outlined in A Housing First approach for encampments: Findings from Dufferin Grove Park.
The City’s Streets to Homes outreach team and partner agencies conduct daily outreach to proactively connect with people living outdoors and in encampments.
Available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, year-round, they focus on establishing supportive relationships as a first step in addressing an individual’s immediate needs.
Outreach staff help people living in encampments in to access shelter or permanent housing. This includes, but is not limited to, developing a housing plan, accessing income and identification supports, completing housing applications, accompanying individuals to unit viewings, and assisting with lease signings. Once a person accepts a referral to shelter or offer to housing, staff continue to provide wrap-around supports.
Streets to Homes and Toronto Paramedic Services also conduct ongoing wellness checks of people living in encampments to ensure increased access to health services.
The City’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division plays an important role in outreach and the response to encampments in parks and greenspaces.
Parks Ambassadors are a responsive, mobile crew that actively visit parks across the city and engage with people living in encampments. They conduct safety and wellness checks, distribute water, socks and other supplies, and connect individuals to Streets to Homes or other community agencies. They also provide information for City services and facilities such as washrooms, showers and recreation centres.
There is a dedicated clean-up team that works to ensure parks are clean, safe and accessible to all. They clean litter and debris from encampments, remove any hazards, and work to restore parks and open spaces for broader public use.
Fires in encampments present a significant risk to individuals living outdoors. In response, the Toronto Fire Services (TFS) Community Risk Reduction Team has increased fire safety education and emergency response protocols for encampments. TFS staff visit encampments daily to engage with occupants, conduct site safety visits and educate people on fire safety. This includes handing out Stay safe from fire! cards which are given to encampment occupants.
Toronto Fire Services will not provide safety equipment, portable extinguishers or fire retardant blankets to encampment sites, but will provide fire safety education and information to people living in encampments.
Toronto Paramedic Services and Streets to Homes outreach staff visit encampments together and provide wound care, dressing, health education and medical advice.
Inner City Health Associates (ICHA) conducts outreach and provides transitional healthcare for people living outside and in encampments through its Street Clinical Outreach for Unsheltered Torontonians (SCOUT) program. A mobile team comprised of two nurses, a family doctor and a case worker provide clinical care that is low barrier, patient-centered, trauma-informed, and harm reduction focused.
Mental health supports are provided to those experiencing homelessness through the Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (M-DOT). Led by LOFT Community Services, a specialized team of medical practitioners and mental health specialists delivers outreach services to people in encampments, on the street and in shelters. These services include addressing basic needs, housing assistance, medical and addictions care and financial support with the long-term goal of ensuring people have access to permanent housing, receive the supports that they need and stay connected to those supports in the community.
Toronto Public Health provides harm reduction and substance treatment services to encampments through The Works.
The Works offers mobile and street outreach services, such as:
The City’s response to encampments is grounded in a Housing First approach and outreach work is focused on helping people access alternatives to living outside, including shelter and housing.
Shelters provide temporary accommodation and support services that assist people to secure permanent housing. Toronto has more emergency shelter beds per capita than any other Canadian city.
All shelter locations are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provide a variety of services and wrap-around supports, including meals and laundry, counsellors/case managers to assist with developing permanent housing plans, harm reduction supports, mental and physical healthcare and referrals to other community services.
The shelter system is made up of City-operated locations and those operated by community partners. There are programs that serve specific demographics, such as women, men, 2SLGBTQ+, seniors, families, youth, Indigenous people and refugee claimants, offering dedicated services to address the unique needs of these groups.
The emergency shelter system plays an important role in supporting the health and wellness of those experiencing homelessness. However, the solution to homelessness is permanent housing with supports.
The City’s 10-year housing plan, HousingTO 2020-2030, includes actions across the full housing spectrum. The plan calls for the approval of 65,000 new rent-controlled homes across the city by 2030, including 6,500 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) homes and 18,000 supportive homes.
When individuals move from encampments into shelter or housing, the City may store certain belongings for a maximum of 30 days. All property collected is photographed on site, placed in a plastic bag and appropriately tagged with a time and location of storage on each bag. Following this process, the property is delivered to a City of Toronto storage facility where the property is logged and stored.
The following items may be collected and stored:
Items that are water-logged, soiled with human or animal feces, other biohazards, or that in the opinion of the City cannot be stored, will not be collected or stored.
The City will not allow tents/structures, belongings or debris to be left behind when someone moves into shelter or housing
The City will not store pods or wooden sheds.
Long-term storage is available for a maximum of six months for people living in encampments who are working towards a housing plan with Streets to Homes or a partner agency. Delivery of stored items may be arranged once they have moved into housing.
Individuals may inquire with the City to locate their property and arrange a time to pick items up. Individuals should call 416-338-1876 and leave a detailed message and provide a phone number, email or location they may be found for staff to return items. All calls will be returned within 48 hours (Monday to Friday).
City staff assist with collecting, transporting, processing, composting and disposing of solid waste from encampments, including garbage, recyclable material, organic waste, electronics, propane cylinders and other hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste may include items such as clothing, mattresses, tents or other items contaminated by pests, fluids, human waste or chemicals.
For occupational health and safety reasons, the City may use large equipment to assist in clean-up efforts.
Improperly discarded needles and harm reduction supplies found in encampments and surrounding communities have been identified as a safety concern. The City of Toronto will collect needles and harm reduction supplies, such as substance use pipes, from City property including City parks, right-of-way, ravines and other locations. Residents are advised not to touch or try to remove needles and to contact 311 for safe removal.
Learn more about needle safety.
Fencing may be necessary to assist with park regeneration, including removal of fine debris and hazards (needle tips or broken glass), removal and aeration of soil/sand, weekly applications of seed and fertilizer applications, pest removal, tree inspection and/or planting.
The fencing allows for staff to work while ensuring public safety and for initial plant and grass growth.
Municipal Licensing and Standards and Corporate Security staff proactively monitor parks and play a critical role in responding to any new encampments. They are supported by contracted security companies that also monitor parks to deter and identify potential encampments using a combination of on-site security and mobile security teams.
The primary duty of contracted guards in City parks is to observe and report new encampments to the Encampment Office. Contracted security are not directly responsible for by-law enforcement. Should a contracted security guard witness a structure or tent being erected in a park, they will contact the Encampment Office immediately and outreach teams will quickly engage with encampment occupants, offering services and referrals to indoor accommodation that may be available.
Security guards may encounter situations in which they witness or are alerted to indictable, summary, or criminal offences and may need to intervene and / or perform a citizen’s arrest according to the Ontario Trespass to Property Act or the Criminal Code, Canada. In these situations, guards would call both police and Corporate Security for assistance. All licensed security guards in Ontario are regulated by the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005.
Contracted guards are also on-site during trespass enforcement and debris removal operations to monitor the safety of staff.
The City operates a system of more than 1,500 parks and ravines as shared recreational spaces for the benefit of the community. All members of the community are welcome to use the City’s parks, abiding by the terms of the City’s Parks Bylaw. The Parks Bylaw prohibits encroaching upon or taking possession of a park by installing a structure on park land; occupying a park for non-recreational uses; and camping, tenting, or otherwise living in parks.
The City also operates a road system for the benefit of the community. The City’s Streets and Sidewalks Bylaw prohibits obstructing a street or right-of-way. Transportation Services responds to encampments on the City’s right-of-way and refers occupants to outreach providers for support before determining next steps.
Any tent or structure that encroaches on a City park or right-of-way for the purpose of living or occupying a space is considered an illegal encampment and may subject to a Trespass Notice or Notice of Violation.
The City’s goal is to establish trust with individuals in encampments, and to connect them to shelter and housing without the need for enforcement. This process can take time. Building relationships and trust with encampment occupants requires regular visits and interactions. There are also significant occupancy pressures on the shelter system, combined with a lack of affordable housing, which means outreach staff may not have as many referral options that can best meets an individual’s needs.
Across the city’s encampments, the majority of tent reductions are a direct result of City and community partner outreach efforts as encampment occupants move to the shelter system or permanent housing.
Enforcement options will only be considered if a person living in an encampment has been offered and rejected reasonable offers that meet their identified needs, or in cases when there is an immediate public safety or health and safety concern. In these situations, individuals will receive a notice that details when and why they must vacate a City premise.
In July 2022, the City accepted the recommendations contained in the Ombudsman Toronto interim report Investigation into the City’s Processes for Clearing Encampments 2021. In March 2023, the City also accepted the recommendations in the Ombudsman Toronto final report Investigation into the City’s clearing of Encampments in Summer 2021.
Toronto’s Ombudsman identified the importance of updating the City’s Encampment Interdepartmental Protocol (IDP) that was adopted by Council in 2005.
To effectively update the Protocol, the City conducted a comprehensive review of human-rights materials related to encampments. The City also held extensive engagement with people with lived experience of homelessness in encampments, City staff, community partners, Business Improvement Areas, Resident Associations, advocates and human rights experts. Distinct engagement sessions were held with Indigenous Peoples with lived experience and service providers.
View a summary of the engagement feedback received.
The results of this work, including the City’s updated IDP, strategic approach to encampments, and the City’s progress to implement the Ombudsman’s recommendations, is outlined in a Staff Report that will be heard by the Economic and Community Development Committee on May 29.
Call 311 to request help for individuals experiencing homelessness who may need support.
If residents have concerns related to a new encampment, they can contact 311 to provide details and the location of the encampment.
The City will respond to new, established, or growing encampment locations by deploying various City resources and outreach services to respond and engage with individuals to determine their needs and offer services.
Telephone support for individuals seeking access to emergency shelter.
Call: 416-397-5637
Call 911 to report emergencies related to encampment fires, injuries, life safety or Criminal Code offences.
To report crimes where no person is in immediate danger such as:
Call: 416-808-2222 or for Teletypewriter 416-467-0493
To discuss general non-emergency fire safety concerns related to an encampment.
Call: 416-338-9375 or email: tfsPubEd@toronto.ca
Individuals who have moved to shelter or housing and have stored their belongings with the City can arrange a time to pick the items up.
Get information on how to submit a complaint on shelter services, including outreach and encampments. Complaints can also be sent to: