Torontonians continue to face housing instability, insecurity and homelessness. The actively homeless population has spiked to over 10,000 people, which is the highest number the city has ever experienced. Meanwhile, applications for rent relief through Toronto’s Rent Bank program doubled from 2020 to 2022. As economic uncertainty looms large, the risks of people facing various forms of housing precarity will remain significant.
In this Rights Review, the Right to Housing Toronto network documents the City’s past efforts with eviction prevention and managing the shelter system along with encampments at the height of the pandemic. The report includes key recommendations and considerations to offer useful reference points for the City to take a rights-based approach to preventing evictions and ending homelessness.