City plan prioritizes larger sites

New strategy puts focus on stability and housing over crackdowns, but some question approach

- VICTORIA GIBSON

As the number of homeless encampments in Toronto grows, city hall is proposing a new strategy that puts more housing resources toward a handful of larger camps — while also using security to prevent new tents from being erected.

The strategy unveiled Wednesday calls on councillors to endorse the approach taken since last summer to tackle a large camp at Allan Gardens — allocating more staff, concentrating resources like rent subsidies and running tax and identification clinics — and expand it to other locations.

That endeavour, which came at a cost of $1.7 million in the first six months, resulted in 97 people moving into housing, the city highlighted in its report on Wednesday — with 11 tents remaining as of early May versus 84 last July.

“The nature of these challenges are changing and we need to be changing with them,” Gord Tanner, head of the city’s shelter department, said in a press conference.

If the strategy is approved by council, city staff would expand that same approach to other encampments at staff’s discretion within the current budget, which means up to three prioritized encampments per year.

While the new protocol still allows the city to clear camps — such as where there is a safety or health risk — it aims to prioritize stability and housing over enforcement crackdowns.

Staff would still be allowed in some instances to immediately remove a camp, without notice, but it urges 72 hours’ notice.