An additional 90 beds will be made available for the homeless as part of a “stop-gap” solution that will see the City of Toronto rent rooms at two motels, Coun. Joe Mihevc tells CP24.com.

The move, which Mayor John Tory hinted at on Wednesday, comes following the death of two homeless people in the frigid cold last week.

A third man also perished in a fire in a makeshift structure in Scarborough on Tuesday night; however it is not known whether the man was homeless.

“This is good news because it takes our unaccommodated rate down and it basically allows us to make sure that no Torontonian who needs shelter will be left out in the cold,” Mihevc said of the additional beds. “Longer term we may not use a motel strategy as we are sending out a request for proposals for new agencies (to provide shelter spaces) but this is a stop-gap.”

Mihevc said the motel rooms will be given to longer term shelter residents who are awaiting placement in permanent social housing, thereby opening up some of the city’s 4,400 beds that would otherwise be occupied.

The Ward 21 St Paul’s councillor added that the rooms are also “scalable,” meaning that in times of extreme cold and increased demand the city could add additional capacity.

“It is 90 beds right away because they (staff) are sure that they will be filled but if more are needed then more will be petitioned by the city,” Mihevc said.

Beds will push occupancy rate down to 90 per cent

The addition of the beds is expected to bring the city’s shelter occupancy rate down from about 93 per cent to 90 per cent, making good on an April, 2013 city council vote to do exactly that.

Discussing the measure with reporters, Tory said he is “not thrilled” that the additional capacity will come in the form of motel rooms but is nonetheless relieved that people who need shelter will have access to it.

“I am not thrilled about what it is but I did my best and the staff did their best to find some extra capacity so we can provide some degree of extra support for homeless people,” he said. “If the need is there then these rooms are available to us.”

The motel rooms, which will be located at one facility in the west end and another in the east end, are expected to be available by Monday at the latest after the Community Development and Recreation committee voted in favour of the measure, according to Mihevc.

Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.