‘Remember to be kind’: Holidays especially tough for those living on the streets, Toronto shelter workers say

December 25, 2024 Canuck

Workers on the front line of Toronto’s homeless crisis say the holiday season has been tough for those living on the streets, as colder temperatures set in along with feelings of isolation.

“Whether you’re a newcomer and it’s your first Christmas away from the family, whether you’re Canadian-born and your family is still far away or not speaking to you for whatever reason, it’s hard for people to be aware that they are not at home,” said Michalina Seidl, a case manager at Bethlehem United.

“People who are staying in a shelter are regular people. Most of the time they’re the most vulnerable….So just remember to be kind to people, because you never know what they’re going through.”

Valentina Diaz, a manager at Fred Victor Bethlehem United Shelter, says the season exacerbates the “emotional heaviness” homeless people face year-round.

“Having to go through life hardships on your own can be particularly hard for people that are living on the streets or in shelters,” said Diaz.

Refugee claimants among those facing hardship

On average night this year, the city sheltered about 12,200 people, up from 10,700 people last year, according to Gord Tanner, head of shelter and support services for the city.

More than 9,500 of those people are in the city’s shelter system, with another 2,600 sheltered in hotels. The city still turns away over 200 people each night who are looking for shelter beds, he said.

Diaz said among the homeless people struggling are refugee claimants who now make up a large portion of the people currently using the city’s shelter system.

WATCH | How Black-led churches in the GTA have helped some refugees find a home in Ontario:

How Black-led churches in the GTA have helped some refugees find a home in Ontario

12 months ago

Duration 3:01

It has been nearly six months since Black-led churches and organizations in the Greater Toronto Area began sheltering refugee claimants because of the city’s overburdened shelter system. Dale Manucdoc checked in on those efforts — and spoke with a couple settling into life in Ontario.

Earlier this year, the city said there had been more than 2,500 refugee claimants in the shelter system in 2023. By the end of that year, that number had grown to nearly 4,200.

Diaz said shelters have done their best to support increased number of refugees.

“We had to open that availability of beds to them because they were coming to a new country and they didn’t have any resources or any sort of supports,” she said.

Diaz said her shelter also hosted a holiday party recently for residents with games, music and food so they feel less isolated.

“We try to make it as joyful as possible, and just make it known that even though they’re not related, there is a community here that they can support and rely on,” said Diaz.

City opted not to act on refugee shelter recommendations

Earlier this month, Toronto’s Ombudsman Kwame Addo released a report investigating the city’s May 2023 decision to stop allowing refugee claimants to access its base shelter system beds, finding that the decision was “inconsistent with city policies” and “amounted to systemic racism” as some claimants were turned away from shelters even when beds were available.

The ombudsman made several recommendations to the city, including clarifying processes for refugee claimants.

City manager Paul Johnson wrote in a letter that he did not agree with the report’s findings and “would not take further action” in response to the recommendations.

Last week, Mayor Olivia Chow said she is committed to holding a meeting to discuss the report, and that meeting would include staff and councillors. It’s not clear when and where that meeting would take place.

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