Workers on the front lines of Toronto’s homelessness crisis say the holiday season has been tough for those living on the streets, as colder temperatures have come along with feelings of isolation.
“Whether you are a newcomer and it is your first Christmas away from family, whether you were born in Canada and your family is still far away or they don’t talk to you for whatever reason, it is difficult for people to be aware that they are not at home,” said Michalina Seidl, Bethlehem United case manager.
“The people who stay in a shelter are normal people. Most of the time they are the most vulnerable… So remember to be nice to people, because you never know what they are going through.”
Valentina Diaz, manager of Fred Victor Bethlehem United Shelter, says the season exacerbates the “emotional heaviness” homeless people face year-round.
“Having to go through life’s hardships on your own can be particularly difficult for people living on the streets or in shelters,” Diaz said.
Diaz said among the homeless people struggling are shelter seekers who now make up a large portion of the people currently using the city’s shelter system.
Earlier this year, the city said there were more than 2,500 asylum seekers in the shelter system in 2023.
By the end of that year, that number had increased to nearly 4,200.
Díaz said the shelters have done everything they can to support a greater number of refugees.
“We had to open up the availability of beds to them because they came to a new country and did not have any resources or any type of support,” he said.
Diaz said her shelter also recently hosted a Christmas party for residents with games, music and food to make them feel less isolated.
“We try to make it as light-hearted as possible and just let them know that even though they’re not related, there’s a community here that they can support and trust,” Diaz said.
Earlier this month, Toronto Ombudsman Kwame Addo released a report investigating the city’s May 2023 decision to stop allowing shelter seekers access to beds in the base shelter system, and found that the decision was “inconsistent with city policies” and “amounted to systemic racism,” as some applicants were turned away from shelters even when beds were available.
The ombudsman made several recommendations to the city, including clarifying processes for asylum seekers.
City Manager Paul Johnson wrote in a letter that he disagreed with the report’s conclusions and would “take no further action” in response to the recommendations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 25, 2024.
