Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing

Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing - Toronto

Jason Costate recently passed his one-year anniversary off drugs like crystal meth and fentanyl --a period of sobriety that began when he moved into a Toronto hotel-turned-shelter.

Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing

TORONTO — Jason Costate recently passed his one-year anniversary off drugs like crystal meth and fentanyl — a period of sobriety that began when he moved into a Toronto hotel-turned-shelter.

Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing

TORONTO — Jason Costate recently passed his one-year anniversary off drugs like crystal meth and fentanyl — a period of sobriety that began when he moved into a Toronto hotel-turned-shelter.

Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing

TORONTO — Jason Costate recently passed his one-year anniversary off drugs like crystal meth and fentanyl — a period of sobriety that began when he moved into a Toronto hotel-turned-shelter.

Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing

The city began using hotels for those experiencing homelessness after hundreds fled shelters in March 2020 for fear of contracting COVID-19. The hotels offered an alternative to encampments that cropped up in parks and additional space for physical distancing. Strathcona residents told The Canadian Press the hotel offered a sense of dignity many hadn't experienced in years at typical shelters: they could close their own doors, use the bathroom i…

Strathcona residents say Toronto shelter hotels failed promise of permanent housing

Experts have urged the city to explore permanently converting some hotels to shelters, arguing that in addition to obvious social benefits, stable housing for people experiencing homelessness also makes economic sense by reducing shelter and healthcare costs.