City Council Rejects the Call to Open Warming Centres 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week

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Despite an open letter to City Council sent by the Health Providers Against Poverty and Shelter Housing Justice Network and a Board of Health motion urging city council to provide around the clock access to warming centres for people living on the street,  Toronto City Councillors still voted (15-11) to reject a call for council to declare a public health crisis and to open warming centres 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Coun. Michael Thompson, introduced amendments rejecting the motion from the Board of Health arguing that it will cost an estimated $400,000 to run a single 24/7 warming centre for one month.

Coun. Alejandra Bravo, was among those opposing Coun Thompson’s amendments countering that the issue is one of priorities, not funds, given the city came up with the money to deploy 80 Toronto Police Services officers a day to patrol the transit system last month.

As a result of twhe vote, warming centres will continue only to open when the city’s Medical Officer of Health issues an extreme cold weather alert. An alert is issued if Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasts temperatures at -15 C  or lower.

Since the Board of Health motion last month, calls from advocates and healthcare providers to keep centres open 24/7 have only grown and among the recommendations advocated by the Health Providers Against Poverty and Shelter Housing Justice Network are:

1. Open warming centers between September 15 and June 1 every year when the forecasted temperature for the day is 0°C or below, and ahead of inclement weather including freezing rain or snow and create a minimum of 250 spaces downtown, with access to alternative spaces granted through TTC fare or taxi.
2. Reinstate low-barrier 24/7 respite space until the shelter capacity is below 90%, as per the Toronto Shelter Standards (8).
3. Keep existing hotel-shelter spaces open, and add at least 2700 more non-congregate shelter spaces.
4. Stop the eviction of encampments and the destruction of survival gear.
5. Collaborate with all levels of government to build 10,000 rent geared-to-income units
immediately and 90,000 additional units to address the growing wait-list.

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