Calls grow to declare Toronto homelessness a public health crisis after extreme cold
TORONTO — Councillors in Toronto are set to consider keeping warming centres open 24-7 for the rest of the winter amid growing calls for homelessness to be declared a public health crisis in the city.
Most of Ontario was under extreme cold warnings late last week, with frigid temperatures presenting greater risks for those without proper shelter.
The city’s only warming centre runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, she said, and there aren’t enough shelter beds or overnight emergency shelter spaces to accommodate hundreds of unhoused residents.
