Etobicoke residents hold rally over concerns about proposed homeless shelter in their area

A proposed homeless shelter that's set to be built in the Etobicoke area is getting pushback from some residents who say they're concerned about its proximity to a seniors' residence and two schools. 

Dozens of people came out to a protest Sunday afternoon at 66 Third St., the shelter's proposed location, to show their strong opposition to the project. 

The shelter was one of six that were announced last December as part of the city's efforts to meet an unprecedented demand for shelter spaces. In addition to temporary housing, the facility will also provide access to other services such as harm reduction and mental health supports, and counsellors to help clients develop permanent housing plans. 

Some residents who attended the protest Sunday said they weren't opposed to a shelter in their neighbourhood, but had concerns about the location. 

Dan Perdue said it worried him that the shelter would be built across the street from a school and a senior centre nearby. 

"To have something right across the street from kids just seems crazy to me to have like, how is a senior who's going to park right here in an alleyway going to feel late at night coming in with their car and parking there with a shelter here?," he said. 

Perdue said he felt the city hadn't adequately consulted with community members before choosing the location. 

"If they would just talk to us, we could identify sites that would be far better for this community, that would support the people they want to help, that would be able to give far better services than this particular site would give."

Keira Marshall lives on the street where the shelter is set to be built. 

"None of us were really made aware that this is happening until it was happening," she said. 

She said she didn't think it was appropriate to have the shelter located on a small residential street and had concerns as a parent that the facility would also be providing harm reduction services. 

"If they're being provided with these things in shelters, where is it going to be like it's going to be on the streets, right?"

Some supporters of the proposed shelter also attended the rally

"We are here to show our support and also push back on the narrative that unhoused folks are inherently dangerous. It's not true," said Karen-Luz Sison, a coorganizer with the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Shelter Support Coalition.

"Most unhoused folks just want to live their lives and rebuild and heal."

Location underserved, city says 

Loretta Ramadhin with Toronto Shelter and Support Services told CBC Toronto in an email that the location was chosen to meet the needs of vulnerable residents in an area that is underserved by homelessness services. 

"We know that sites that are purpose built for homeless services provide better outcomes — not just for the individuals using the site, but for the broader communities they are located in."

The shelter will not operate a supervised consumption site, she said. 

Cty staff also said there are a limited number of available sites and areas in Toronto "that meet the size, budget and zoning requirements needed to be a municipal shelter," in an email to the New Toronto Initiative, one of the protest organizers. The group forwarded that email to CBC Toronto.

Ramadhin said the city understands that area residents may have questions and take this input seriously. 

"The best outcomes come when neighbours are partners in these critical projects."

A 2021 city report on homelessness in Toronto found Etobicoke-York had a greater share of outdoor homelessness than other parts of the city. 

Leslie Gash, executive director of the Toronto Shelter Network, said the findings from that report, as well as the presence of several encampments in the area, indicate it could use more services for people who are unhoused. 

Gash said it's a misconception that homeless shelters bring issues to neighbourhoods. 

"They're all over the city and there are a lot of them, you would not necessarily even know there was a shelter there," she said. 

"They're being operated well and they're being good neighbours to the community." 

Etobicoke-Lakeshore Coun. Amber Morley said she's heard input from residents on "both sides of this issue." 

"We do appreciate the way that our community has mobilized. There's been a lot of coalescing around this issue one way or the other. And I think it's important that the community comes together," she told CBC Toronto in an interview Saturday.

A town hall about the proposed shelter was held in February, the city said.

Morley said a second, virtual town hall is scheduled for April to give people another opportunity to share their feedback.