Toronto Public Health and Shelter Administration, 2007–2025
Mean age at death,
not life expectancy
Among shelter-system decedents recorded from 2020 through 2024, the death-count-weighted mean age was 49.9. That statistic describes the people who died; it is not a cohort life expectancy and cannot be subtracted from Ontario life expectancy to estimate years of life lost. The rest of this page keeps mortality records, facilities, and emergency-response costs separate.
- Weighted mean age, 2020–2024 decedents
- 49.9 yrs
- Mean age among 2025 decedents
- 53.0 yrs
- Deaths recorded since 2007
- 896
- Shelter facilities in the inventory
- 59
What the mortality file actually measures
49.9 years, mean age among decedents
A low mean age among people who died is a serious mortality signal. It still is not life expectancy: the file follows deaths recorded by the shelter system, not a cohort from a common starting age through survival.
These figures only capture people who were active residents of City shelters or hotels at or near their time of death. They do not capture people who died outdoors in ravines, stairwells, or private spaces without an active shelter file.
Receipt
Toronto Public Health mean age among shelter-system decedents, 2007–2026 partial. The 2020–2024 death-count-weighted mean is 49.9 years; the complete 2025 row is 53.0 years across 59 recorded decedents.
- Source
- Average Age of Death of Shelter Residents
- Published by
- Toronto Public Health
- Period
- 2007–2025
- Retrieved
- 12 July 2026
- File
- data/civic/shelter_deaths_mean_age.csv
- Licence
- Open Government Licence - Toronto
Mean observed age among shelter-system decedents. It is not life expectancy: comparing this mean with Ontario life expectancy describes two different statistics and cannot estimate years of life lost or the causal effect of homelessness.
Mean age among observed decedents is not cohort life expectancy and cannot estimate years of life lost by subtraction from Ontario life expectancy.
Eighteen years of tracking
A rising baseline
of shelter deaths
In 2007, the City recorded 24 deaths of shelter residents. By 2021, driven by the toxic drug supply and extreme shelter crowding, deaths peaked at 132. Today the baseline remains more than double 2007 levels.
Receipt
Monthly deaths of shelter residents dataset (2007–2025). Peak recorded year was 2021 with 132 decedents. Across the 18-year period, 896 total deaths were recorded.
- Source
- Deaths of Shelter Residents (Monthly, 2007–2025)
- Published by
- Toronto Public Health / Shelter, Support and Housing Administration
- Period
- 2007–2025
- Retrieved
- 12 July 2026
- File
- data/civic/shelter_deaths_monthly.csv
- Licence
- Open Government Licence - Toronto
Includes residents of City-funded emergency shelters and hotel programs who died while active in the system or shortly after discharge. Excludes unhoused people dying outside the shelter system unless verified by TPH.
Two published daily cost figures
A sevenfold ratio
is not a budget conversion
The claim ledger records approximately $359 per person-night for one audited warming-centre model and approximately $50 per resident-night for supportive housing with care. Their scopes and cost bases are not shown here as equivalent.
The two daily figures are not interchangeable budget lines. A per-person operating cost does not include the same capital, eligibility, staffing, land, occupancy, or time period in both systems. Their ratio cannot be translated into a number of permanent homes funded, so this page does not run that conversion.
Toronto spends $897,957,000 annually on emergency homelessness response, yet an average of 202 callers are turned away from Central Intake every night during peak winter demand. Meanwhile, 78.0% of shelter users are chronically homeless, and 92,965 households remain trapped on the closed social housing waitlist.
Receipt
Figures from Auditor General 2025 Warming Centres Audit (Tara Anderson), 2025 City of Toronto Budget Committee Notes, and CAMH Shelter Safety Study. Warming centre night cost audited at $359/person/night.
- Source
- Toronto Homelessness & Housing Economics Claim Ledger
- Published by
- uniteTOlove / Toronto Auditor General & Budget Committee
- Period
- 2020–2025
- Retrieved
- 12 July 2026
- File
- data/civic/claim_ledger.csv
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
Every figure cross-referenced with Toronto Auditor General reports (2022, 2025), City of Toronto budget notes, and Street Needs Assessments. Unit economics (e.g. $359/night warming centre costs) reflect audited actuals.
Geographic distribution across wards
Where the shelter
beds actually sit
Toronto’s shelter system is heavily concentrated downtown. Toronto Centre holds 1,612 designated beds across 14 sites, while multiple outer suburban wards host zero permanent facilities.
14 sites
9 sites
8 sites
4 sites
4 sites
3 sites
1 site
1 site
3 sites
1 site
Receipt
City of Toronto SSHA Daily Shelter & Overnight Service Inventory across 25 wards. Facilities with flex/motel rooms where bed count fluctuates are noted by facility count.
- Source
- City of Toronto Shelter & Overnight Services Inventory
- Published by
- City of Toronto SSHA
- Period
- 2024–2025
- Retrieved
- 12 July 2026
- File
- data/civic/shelter_sites.csv
- Licence
- Open Government Licence - Toronto
Reflects base capacity and operational models across 25 municipal wards. Motel and temporary family flex rooms vary nightly based on emergency activations and funding limits.
Facility inventory
All 59 shelter facilities
Search by facility name, ward, neighbourhood, or population served.
| Facility | Type | Population served | Ward | Neighbourhood | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birkdale - Roycroft Motel | Family | Family | Scarborough Southwest (20) | Cliffcrest | Flex / Varies |
| Birkdale Residence | Family | Family | Scarborough Centre (21) | Bendale | 160 |
| Christie Refugee Welcome Centre | Family | Family | University-Rosedale (11) | Annex | 79 |
| Christie-Ossington Men's Shelter | Single | Single Men | Davenport (9) | Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction | 45 |
| Cornerstone Place | Single | Single Men | Toronto-St. Paul's (12) | Wychwood | 50 |
| Costi Reception Centre | Single | Mixed Adult | University-Rosedale (11) | University | 16 |
| Covenant House | Single | Youth | Toronto Centre (13) | Church-Yonge Corridor | 94 |
| Dixon Hall - Heyworth House | Single | Mixed Adult | Beaches-East York (19) | East End-Danforth | 70 |
| Dixon Hall - School House | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 55 |
| Eva's Phoenix | Single | Youth | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Niagara | 50 |
| Eva's Place | Single | Youth | Don Valley East (16) | StAndrew-Windfields | 32 |
| Eva's Place - Satellite | Single | Youth | Willowdale (18) | Willowdale West | 32 |
| Family Res - Gateway Inn | Family | Family | Scarborough-Rouge Park (25) | West Hill | Flex / Varies |
| Family Res - Lido Motel | Family | Family | Scarborough-Rouge Park (25) | West Hill | Flex / Varies |
| Family Res - Maple Leaf Motel | Family | Family | Scarborough-Rouge Park (25) | West Hill | Flex / Varies |
| Family Residence | Family | Family | Scarborough-Guildwood (24) | West Hill | 150 |
| Fred Victor Centre - Bethlehem United | Single | Mixed Adult | Eglinton-Lawrence (8) | Yorkdale-Glen Park | 60 |
| Fred Victor Centre - Women's Shelter | Single | Single Women | Toronto Centre (13) | Church-Yonge Corridor | 40 |
| Good Shepherd Barrett House | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | Regent Park | 5 |
| Good Shepherd Centre | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | Regent Park | 91 |
| Homes First Society - 3576 St. Clair Avenue East Shelter | Single | Mixed Adult | Scarborough Southwest (20) | Kennedy Park | 60 |
| Homes First Society - Savard's | Single | Single Women | Davenport (9) | Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction | 30 |
| Homes First Society - Strachan House | Single | Mixed Adult | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Niagara | 76 |
| Horizons for Youth | Single | Youth | Davenport (9) | Caledonia-Fairbanks | 35 |
| MUC Shelter Corp. (Sojourn House) | Family | Family | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 126 |
| Native Child & Family Eagle's Nest Transition House | Single | Youth | University-Rosedale (11) | Palmerston-Little Italy | 12 |
| Native Men's Residence | Single | Single Men | Toronto-St. Paul's (12) | Wychwood | 63 |
| Robertson House | Family | Family | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 90 |
| Sagatay | Single | Single Men | Toronto-St. Paul's (12) | Wychwood | 22 |
| Salvation Army - Evangeline | Single | Single Women | Parkdale-High Park (4) | Junction Area | 90 |
| Salvation Army - Florence Booth | Single | Single Women | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Niagara | 60 |
| Salvation Army - Gateway | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 108 |
| Salvation Army - Hope | Single | Single Men | University-Rosedale (11) | Kensington-Chinatown | 110 |
| Salvation Army - Maxwell Meighen | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 260 |
| Scott Mission | Single | Single Men | University-Rosedale (11) | University | 45 |
| Seaton House Main Site | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 580 |
| Seaton House/Birchmount Residence | Single | Single Men | Scarborough Southwest (20) | Birchcliffe-Cliffside | 60 |
| Seaton House/Downsview Dells | Single | Single Men | Don Valley North (17) | Henry Farm | 28 |
| Seaton House/Fort York | Single | Single Men | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Niagara | 74 |
| Second Base Youth Shelter | Single | Youth | Scarborough Southwest (20) | Kennedy Park | 56 |
| St. Simon's | Single | Single Men | Toronto Centre (13) | North StJamestown | 57 |
| St. Vincent De Paul - Amelie House | Single | Single Women | Toronto-Danforth (14) | South Riverdale | 20 |
| St. Vincent De Paul - Elisa House | Single | Single Women | Etobicoke-Lakeshore (3) | Mimico | 40 |
| St. Vincent De Paul - Mary's Home | Single | Single Women | Toronto Centre (13) | Church-Yonge Corridor | 38 |
| St. Vincent De Paul - St. Clare's Residence | Single | Single Women | Willowdale (18) | Newtonbrook East | 30 |
| Street Haven at the Crossroads | Single | Single Women | Toronto Centre (13) | Moss Park | 33 |
| Streets to Homes Assessment & Referral Centre | Single | Mixed Adult | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Waterfront Communities-The Islands | Flex / Varies |
| Toronto Community Hostel | Family | Family | University-Rosedale (11) | Annex | 24 |
| Touchstone Youth Shelter | Single | Youth | Toronto-Danforth (14) | Broadview North | 32 |
| Turning Point Youth Services | Single | Youth | Toronto Centre (13) | Church-Yonge Corridor | 35 |
| University Settlement - Part time Shelter | Single | Mixed Adult | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Kensington-Chinatown | 65 |
| Women's Residence - Bellwoods House | Single | Single Women | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Trinity-Bellwoods | 10 |
| Women's Residence - Main Site | Single | Single Women | University-Rosedale (11) | Kensington-Chinatown | 100 |
| Woodgreen Red Door Queen | Family | Family | Toronto-Danforth (14) | South Riverdale | 120 |
| YMCA House | Single | Youth | Spadina-Fort York (10) | Waterfront Communities-The Islands | 45 |
| YWCA - Beatrice House | Family | Family | Davenport (9) | Corso Italia-Davenport | 80 |
| YWCA - First Stop Woodlawn - Women's Unit | Single | Single Women | University-Rosedale (11) | Rosedale-Moore Park | 28 |
| YWCA - First Stop Woodlawn Youth Unit | Single | Youth | University-Rosedale (11) | Rosedale-Moore Park | 28 |
| Youth Without Shelter | Single | Youth | Etobicoke North (1) | Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown | 50 |