Item - 2025.CC28.2

City Council on March 26 and 27, 2025, adopted the following:

 1. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, to follow the Toronto Shelter Standards’ interim amendment process by using a Directive when making changes to eligibility criteria for Toronto’s Shelter System.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, to ensure all future changes to shelter eligibility, are documented in a protocol for shelter bed allocation, and adhere to the Ontario Human Rights Code, the City’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy, Access T.O., and the Toronto Shelter Standards, and that any changes will be developed in consultation with the City’s Human Rights Office, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, the Toronto Newcomer Office, and other relevant internal experts before implementation.

3. City Council direct that compliance with these policies be documented through a formal procedure with sign off by the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services.

 
4. City Council direct that formal procedure for review of changes to shelter eligibility be approved by City Council and shared with the Ombudsman, and impacted City divisions, prior to implementation.

5. City Council direct that Toronto Shelter and Support Staff staff involved in shelter policy development as well as senior Toronto Support and Support Services leadership (the General Manager and Directors) be trained in the Anti-Black Racism Analysis Tool by June 30, 2025, and that all new shelter policy staff, as part of their onboarding, be trained in this tool.

6. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to develop a framework to analyze any new shelter eligibility changes for alignment with the Toronto Housing Charter before these new changes are implemented, and request the Housing Rights Advisory Committee to review the framework and its operation in alignment with progressively realising the right to housing.

7. City Council finalize and approve the framework in Part 6 above in the fourth quarter of 2025 and share with the Ombudsman and relevant City Divisions prior to implementation.

8. City Council direct that senior executives at the City, including the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services and the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to invite the Chair, Housing Rights Advisory Committee and the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to a meeting to discuss the City’s obligations flowing from its commitment to progressively realize housing as a human right by June 30, 2025, and include updates from that discussion as part of the Council-directed reporting to Executive Committee on Item 2024.EC17.1 in the third quarter of 2025.

9. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to organize a dedicated training session for the Senior leaders on the Encampment Steering Committee and within Toronto Shelter and Support Services on the City’s obligations flowing from its commitment to progressively realize housing as a human right by October 1, 2025, delivered by the Chair, Housing Rights Advisory Committee and others (as needed) to help facilitate the session.

10. City Council direct that senior executives at the City, including the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, and the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, to offer to hold a round-table session with key refugee-claimant-serving organizations and housing rights advocates with the goal of informing future City decisions related to emergency housing for refugee claimants; this session should be held by June 1, 2025.

 
11 City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to develop a strategy for continued meaningful engagement with refugee claimants and refugee-claimant-serving organizations to help plan and deliver shelter services impacting refugee claimants.

 
12. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to report on its engagement strategy and with City Council for approval in the fourth quarter of 2025.

13. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, to explore how data collected will be used to track progress toward achieving the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing for all shelter users and those trying to access shelter, including refugee claimants;  this may be done in consultation with the Data for Equity Unit (People and Equity) or any other related internal or external experts.

 
14. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and other relevant divisions, to report back with a status update on the implementation of all these recommendations to City Council in the fourth quarter of 2025.

15. City Council direct the City Manager and any other appropriate staff to attend a meeting with the leadership of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee to respond to the questions raised in the letter from attached to this item.

16. City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to renew the Access T.O. public education campaign to enhance awareness of the Access to City Services for the Undocumented Torontonians policy, including scope and supports available.

17. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to ensure that all Toronto Shelter Support Services policies, procedures, and directives reflect the specific needs of 2SLGBTQ+ refugees, including tracking implementation metrics, and mandatory training for City staff and contracted service providers.

18. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to ensure that the development and expansion of the refugee shelter system reflects the specific needs of 2SLGBTQ+ refugees.

19. City Council request the City Solicitor to report directly to City Council with advice on options available to City Council when there are incorrect facts or incorrect legal advice presented to City Council by the Accountability Officers.

20. City Council request the Chief People Officer, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to review the instances where the City did not adhere to relevant law and policy of the Ontario Human Rights Code in this matter, and provide the results of that review to the City Manager and Members of Council.

21. City Council request the Federal Government to immediately reverse the decision to wind-down the Interim Housing Assistance Program and continue providing support for municipalities for 100 percent of the cost of providing shelter for refugees and asylum seekers, and that this request be included in the City of Toronto’s priorities for the Federal election.
 

22. City Council request the Federal Government to restore funding for the Settlement Program to ensure no Local Immigration Partnership services close for service, and that this request be included in the City of Toronto’s priorities for the Federal election.

23. City Council request the Federal Government to expand the definition of asylum claimant, as it relates to IHAP funding, to include those who have initiated a refugee claim and haven’t completed it yet, and those who arrived to Canada with the intention to make a refugee claim and are preparing to make it.

24. City Council request the Federal Government to establish a dedicated, portable and time-limited housing benefit specific to refugee claimants, with enhanced levels in locations where claimants typically don’t settle.