Facts About Toronto’s Homeless and Housing

It is estimated that in Canada 12.9% of Canadians or 4.3 Million live at or below the poverty line. (According to Statistics Canada 2013.)

Canada’s poverty rate per capita is higher than normal which means with a growing population more Canadians will end up homeless and on the streets without food or shelter using the resources needed for the most vulnerable.

In the last few years alone more than 4 Million Canadians have faced food shortages due to:

Shrinking Income
Increased poverty -Lack of Gov’t Funding (slashed programs, grants and funds unavailable to lower income people.)
High cost of housing in Canada and the raising cost of home ownership (Seniors unable to afford their own homes.)

Facts About Toronto’s Homeless

The City of Toronto Website on Quick Facts about Homelessness States:

• 5253 (Estimates) people are homeless, live in shelters or other facilities for personal care or have no permanent housing options.
• 447 people sleep outside “Rough” or without any housing options available.
• 85% of those that sleep outside are Men, while 65% of the homeless in general are Men.
• 33% of the identifiable Homeless are Aboriginal.
• 29% of Toronto’s homeless are at or over the age of 51.
• 5092+ beds are available to be used per night for Toronto’s homeless (yet  there are over 7000+ homeless individuals living on the streets.)
• Toronto has 60-150+ “Out of the Cold Beds” available nightly. November through April (which alleviates some pressure on the overall shelter system especially during the Extreme Cold Alerts.)
• Over 16,000 individuals have used the shelter system in Toronto in 2015. In 2011 that number was over 18,000.
• 93% of Homeless individuals need or want permanent housing.
• Though the number of Cold Alerts issued by the city have dropped considerably in a ten year period the city programs are often not ready to meet the demand alone (Groups and Agencies.)
• Outreach Organizations must work together to meet the ever growing needs of Toronto’s homeless.
• The average homeless person waits 9+ years for housing. Often many are placed on a waiting list.

There are over 94,000+ social housing units available in Toronto for those on a fixed income. But the waiting list has soared to almost 100,000. The time has come for us to work together to assist those living in these situations overcome poverty. Many end up on the streets in downtown Toronto due to the inability pay their rent and here’s why:

1. The current cost to rent a two bedroom apartment in Toronto (conservatively) is over $1500.00 per month downtown.
2. The cost for a three bedroom is about $2000.00 per month.
3. Low income benefits are far too inadequate for the poor to even afford a bachelor, one bedroom or a room in downtown Toronto.
4. On average, low income individuals pay out over 50% or more of their income to housing. This is one reason our ministry serves in the downtown core of Toronto. Far too many people in Canada are homeless  because they can’t pay for their basic necessities of life.

Souls for Christ Ministries partners with many great organizations and churches to reach into the lives of the poor helping them with food, clothing and more through our programs like:

• Clothing Ministry– supplying Summer/Winter Wear -clothing (when available) year round.
• Summer Outreach Program- supplying ice cold water and Summer Clothing and Summer Survival Kits (when available.)
• Fall and Winter Outreach Programs– supplying food cards for meals, Winter Survival Kits, sleeping bags and clothing – (when available.)

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