Securing Space in a Shelter

Mr. C was staying in a downtown City-run shelter. He got a two-night pass to visit his family in Quebec over the holidays. On the way back, he was caught in a storm and his travels were delayed – he would not be able to arrive at the shelter until several hours after the pass deadline. He called the shelter to explain his situation. They told him that if he could not arrive on time, they would give his spot to someone else and remove his belongings. Although this followed the City’s policy, we were concerned that this was unfair to Mr. C. We called the City’s Shelter, Support & Housing Administration division (SSHA), and asked that they extend the deadline by 6 hours to allow Mr. C to return. They did, and Mr. C was able to make his way back to Toronto by that evening to reclaim his spot in the shelter and his belongings.

All names are changed to protect the privacy of complainants.