Officials with the winter respite site at the Better Living Centre say that their doors will remain open all night, regardless of how many people visit the facility.
Miscommunication issues on Saturday night resulted in a number of people being told that the 24/7 shelter was at capacity when there was actually about 40 empty cots inside.
It remains unclear what caused those communication issues but volunteers at a supervised injection facility in Moss Park did tell CP24 that they called the facility directly at around 9 p.m. to see if there was room for some of their patrons and were told that there was no space. The volunteers also said that they contacted central intake for the city’s shelter system and were told that there were no beds at any nearby facilities.
“I think it was a communication issue and we have worked hard today with the city to ensure that the communication going out to people is accurate and timely,” Mark Aston, who is in charge of operating the site through his position as executive director of the Fred Victor Centre, told CP24 on Sunday evening. “We are open and we intend to stay open for anybody that needs assistance.”
The city recently opened up the new 24-hour shelter inside the Better Living Centre rather than asking the federal government for permission to use the Moss Park and Fort York armouries as emergency shelters, as some councillors and anti-poverty advocates had pushed for.
Aston said that about 70 people were already at the Better Living Centre site on Sunday evening but he promised that nobody would be turned away, even if the 110 beds in the facilities end up being used.
“If we do hit 110 we certainly won’t be closing the doors. There will be room in here, there is food, there is washroom and shower facilities and there is staff here. So the doors will not be closed to anyone tonight,” he said.
Tory says system is ‘coping’
In a statement issued on Sunday afternoon, Mayor John Tory said that he has been told by staff that while the occupancy rate across the shelter system was at 95 per cent on Saturday night, there was room for about 60 additional people at the winter respite site at the Better Living Centre and another 20 to 30 at the Peter Street referral centre.
He said that in order to ensure that anyone seeking shelter has access to it and to avoid a repeat of Saturday night; a street outreach team will be sent to the Moss Park supervised injection site before it closes tonight.
The city also says that the TTC will be redirecting buses to stop in front of the building for anyone using transit to get there.
“Staff have been working throughout the day to clarify information about where people can find shelter in the city and to let people know that shelter is available,” Tory said in his statement. “I've also been assured by staff that the city outreach team will visit the Moss Park overdose prevention site tonight before it closes to ensure anyone who needs shelter is able to access it.”
Wong-Tam calls for action
The city has set a standard of 90 per cent occupancy for its shelter system, though the actual occupancy on a night to night basis regularly exceeds the 95 per cent threshod and can be even higher in shelters for women and youth.
Speaking with CP24 on Sunday, Ward 27 Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam said that more needs to be done to address what has become an “ongoing crisis.”
She said that winter respite sites like the one at the Better Living Centre are essentially a “band aid solution,” as they are not permanent sites.
“I have never seen it so bad,” Wong-Tam said. “This has been the worst winter and staff at the front lines are saying that. Management may be saying something different but front-line staff, the ones working directly with street-involved people, are saying that they can’t get them into other facilities.”
Man turned away from shelter after 'miscommunication'
In addition to reports of people being told over the phone that there was no space at the Better Living Centre on Saturday night, there was also at least one person who was directly turned away from the facility.
Aston said that he believes a “temporary miscommunication” was responsible for at least one person being turned away from the facility on Sunday morning.
The city’s director of shelter services told CP24 on Sunday that people and pets are still permitted to go inside the centre to warm up even if beds are not available, however, one person told CP24 outside the facility on Sunday that they were turned away after they were told the centre was at capacity.
When approached by CP24 about the rejection, security at the facility again repeated that they were at capacity.
“This morning I believe there was a temporary miscommunication with somebody who was doing security. That issue has been rectified and will not be repeating itself,” Aston said.
When asked if he is concerned about the number of people who may have been rejected due to the miscommunication, Aston said he believes it was an “isolated incident.”
“Our staff are very clear. We are here to provide shelter, three meals a day, access to washrooms, showers. They are very clear about the fact that this is here specifically to ensure that in the cold weather nobody is turned away,” he said.
Bitterly cold temperatures have created dangerous conditions outside for the city’s homeless population. Toronto and many parts of the province are under an extreme cold warning with forecasted wind chill values of -30 on Sunday.
An extreme cold weather alert issued by the city’s medical officer of health is also still in effect.
