As Toronto prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches in June, those using a longstanding shelter just steps from the stadium will soon have to find a new place to stay warm.
Toronto city staff say their contract with the Better Living Centre ends on March 15, but the respite site will stop accepting new people later this month in order to facilitate a gradual transition, despite the fact that Toronto’s winter plan for helping people who are unhoused runs until April 15.
The move comes as the city’s shelter system, which has been running at or over capacity this winter, has been essential during this recent spell of bitterly cold temperatures
“I think when you look at the city’s own website for their daily occupancy stats, they have been full – they have been at 105 percent capacity so clearly these spaces are needed,” said Lorraine Lam with the Shelter and Housing Justice Network.
“I don’t think the city has 250 spaces extra hiding anywhere for these people who will be displaced to go into.”
Don Boylie, the CEO of the Exhibition Place, says there’s nothing much that can be done to keep the space open beyond March 15th because of FIFA obligations.
“We’re really not built to be a shelter place, but we know that there’s a role that Exhibition Place can play, and it’s a role we’re proud to play,” he says.
“In 2027, 28, 29, we’ve done a three-year agreement, and we’ve actually looked at a transition plan because the space at the Better Living Centre really needs to be a more public, open space. So we have plans for that.”
As for World Cup preparations, the city says that the Better Living Centre is scheduled to be available for FIFA-related use starting April 1st. Toronto is set to host six FIFA games, including Canada’s first group stage match on June 12.
“And there’s a lot of preparation based on the internet and the fibre, setting it up, the logistics of doing an event of this magnitude, and with the security that is required in this day and age,” he explains.
The centre has closed early in previous years, with staff telling CityNews the site needed weeks to wind down operations before contracted handover dates. Advocates say the city needs permanent strategies to help people find housing instead of seasonal band-aid solutions.
“I think every year, people who have access to these temporary spaces have it for a few months, butthen they’re back outside again, and the vulnerabilities continue.”
The city says that anyone who wants to stay at the Better Living Centre beyond the date of March 15 will be given an alternative space within the shelter system.
