UPDATE: Warming Centres to Open Tonight

UPDATE: The Mayor has agreed to open the warming centres tonight ahead of the big storm. This will make a huge difference for people who are unhoused. Thank you to everyone who called the Mayor's office today.

Currently, the city only has 3 warming centres to serve the entire city.

All spaces are available by walk in:

📍Scarborough Civic Centre (150 Borough Dr, capacity: 17)

📍Metro Hall (55 John St, capacity: 45)

📍Mitchell Field Community Centre (89 Church Ave, North York, capacity: 50)

This is from from the city’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/homeless-help/#warmingcentres

Each day, well over 100 people are turned away from city shelters because there is no space available in the system. The system and warming centres need much more capacity.

Right now, the City’s policy is to open warming centres when the temperature goes below -15, regardless of wind chill and other weather conditions. It shouldn’t be up to advocates to plead for warming centres to open ahead of winter storms like tonight’s. As Councillors Bravo, Malik and Perks are calling for - the policy needs to be improved so people can be better protected and lives can be saved.

Tonight the warming centres will now be open. Now, we need more information: what happens to people if they are all full as the system has been over capacity? For how many days will they be open and what are their hours?

The hours and locations of warming centres and drop-ins must be increased and with the City Budget coming out in weeks, we need to ensure they are all better funded in 2023.