Homeless shelter providers in Toronto reported being jammed to capacity Monday night, but city officials say nearly 150 beds went unfilled that evening.
So what gives?
Advocates for the homeless, and some shelter staff, say there's a shortage of shelter beds in the city.
But councillor Joe Mihevc, who chairs the committee at city hall responsible for homelessness and shelters, argues the real problem is a breakdown in communication on the part of shelter providers. He says beds are available – people just have to know how to find them.
As the Star reported yesterday, some shelters complained about overflows this past holiday weekend. Staff at Street Haven at the Crossroads, Fred Victor Centre for Women and Covenant House said all their beds were filled.
According to the city's shelter standards, shelters that are full must provide a referral to another facility. The shelter must also confirm a bed is available there.
The rules apply to all city-funded shelters, including those run by community agencies.
The city has 3,800 shelter beds for single adults, youths and couples. An assessment and referral centre operates 24 hours a day on Adelaide St. E., which is meant to help connect shelters and individuals with available beds.
Between 2 and 4 a.m. Tuesday, there were 143 beds available across the city after all referrals had taken place, said Phil Brown, general manager of the Shelter, Support and Housing Administration.
"Obviously someone isn't communicating to someone,'' Mihevc said in an interview yesterday.
He said the city needs to "clearly communicate'' to shelters that they should call if beds are needed. The referral number is 416-338-4766.
Mark Pusey, a spokesperson at the Fred Victor Centre, said it's a complex situation that goes beyond calling a referral centre: "For some of the homeless, there's an issue around comfort level in some of the shelters."
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty staged a demonstration at city hall recently blaming a "shortage" of beds for the Feb. 28 death of Robert Maurice, who died in a downtown stairwell on a bitterly cold night. The group claimed Maurice was homeless, but he was actually living in a rooming house.
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