Mayor John Tory wants 400 new spaces for Toronto’s homeless population to be created “as soon as possible” to relieve overcrowded shelters as colder weather approaches.

“This urgent plan for shelters will work to add beds in existing shelters,” he said on Sunday at city hall. “We’re already underway, talking to each of the shelters that exists in the city of Toronto, asking them to add capacity wherever they possibly can.”

His plan would include a mix of facilities including motels, shelters and drop-in centres.

In response to reporters’ questions after the announcement, Tory said adding 400 spaces would cost about $10 million and suggested the money could come from the city’s reserve funds. He said new spaces could be available “in the coming weeks,” and some in “the coming days.”

Tory was not specific about which funds the money would be drawn from or where, beyond motels, those experiencing homelessness could be temporarily housed.

The main purpose of the plan is to get people off the streets and permanently housed in order to relieve near- or at-capacity shelters, said Kira Heineck, executive lead of Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness, who was at the announcement.

“We’re calling on the private sector, developers, landlords, co-ops, non-profits,” she said. “They all have a role to play in finding some more permanent housing.”

The bulk of this work, which could yield 200 units at least, could be accomplished by the end of January, she said.

“We’re going to be working tirelessly to exceed that target,” Heineck added.

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The city has been making efforts to free up spaces to house more of Toronto’s homeless population. There are currently 1,288 more beds than there were on Nov. 1, 2016, according to city data. Statistics also show that 95 per cent of 1,305 motel beds used by the city to house homeless people were occupied last month.

“The occupancy hasn’t gone down,” despite the city’s efforts to increase spaces this year, said Paul Raftis, who heads the city division responsible for shelters.

Tory referred to this when he said there was a 30-per-cent increase in the number of people using the shelter system last month over the year before.

A third party audited the space in all of the city’s 62 shelters over the past few months, Raftis said. Preliminary information suggests there is some more room available if space in shelters is utilized more effectively. Not all of those new spaces would be permanent.

City finance officials are still working to determine which reserve funds the money for the new plan will be drawn from, Raftis said.

Last month, Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam introduced a motion urging the city to open up more beds and to declare an emergency. Wong-Tam suggested using the Fort York and Moss Park armouries — federal facilities — as shelter spaces.

“The optimal move that will bring us the largest number of shelter beds online, in the quickest period of time, is actually the armouries,” Wong-Tam told the Star on Sunday. “We’re not straying away from that position.

“Hotel beds are not sustainable in the long run,” she said.

But on Sunday, Tory said he was against declaring an emergency or using the armouries as shelters.

“The staff have advised me that the declaration of such an emergency would not represent a proper use of that part of the law,” Tory said, adding that staff also recommended that there are spaces more appropriate than the armouries.

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Street nurse Cathy Crowe argues the new plan does not go far enough to address the realities on the ground. Crowe said Tory didn’t explain why armouries aren’t suitable, or where the motel spaces will be located. She added that looking for new spaces in an already overburdened shelter system is “dangerous.”

“Why would you add crowding to crowding?” Crowe said. “It can potentially worsen conditions. We got alarm bells of the strep outbreak, also violence in shelters, worker health and safety.”

Part of the plan to be discussed this week at city council, which begins its session on Tuesday, will be using existing infrastructure such as motel rooms to house people. Earlier this year, council approved extending contracts for beds and food services at several hotels, for a total cost of $20.8 million, to house refugees arriving in Toronto. The shelter system has seen increased demand from newcomers, including families, for whom traditional shelter space is limited.

Tory added Sunday that the city was looking for additional space to locate another winter drop-in centre.

He said he’s had two conversations with provincial Housing Minister Peter Milczyn to discuss “how the province can help when there are sudden and prolonged increases in demand for emergency shelter space in Toronto, particularly given the fact we are bearing the burden.”

Drop-in centres provide mats to sleep or rest on, not beds. On a nightly basis, an average of 300 people use these facilities, Crowe said, noting that there is a lottery system for access to recliner chairs.

Tory’s office said his plan builds on 291 shelter beds that are slated to be introduced next year by the city. Tory said during the announcement that his department will be asking staff to establish three shelters in 2018, rather than 2019.

About 35,000 Canadians are homeless every night, according to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, and about 235,000 over the course of the year.

Toronto’s emergency shelter system can accommodate about 5,660 people, with an additional 80 spots added each weekend. Last Thursday, it was at 96-per-cent capacity, with women’s shelters at 98 per cent and youth shelters at 97 per cent.

That same night, 92 people also used the Out of the Cold Program, a volunteer-led initiative held at faith-based centres across Toronto, according to city statistics.

In February, during the 2017 budget debate at council, Tory voted against a proposal to prevent the elimination of 10 front-line shelter staff positions. At the time shelters were exceeding capacity targets.

A short-term fix to save the 10 positions was approved by council in April.

Tory’s spokesperson, Don Peat, said a motion at council this week will ask staff to act on: 200 new motel beds for singles and families; 150 beds in existing shelters; and 100 winter drop-in spaces, after a review of city and agency-owned sites.

With files from Jennifer Pagliaro and Emily Mathieu

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