TORONTO — The number of homeless people in Toronto has more than doubled between the spring of 2021 and last fall, a newly released survey showed.
Toronto's Street Needs Assessment survey estimated that 15,400 people were homeless in Toronto last October, up from about 7,300 in April 2021. 
"These data highlight the failure of multiple systems, such as affordable housing, health care, mental health, income support, and the justice system," a city report said.
"People are left with nowhere to turn, and the shelter system or staying outdoors become the last resort."
The report said the increase in Toronto mirrors the situation in Ontario and across Canada after the COVID-19 pandemic directly affected homelessness rates.
"Specific groups continue to be overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness, outlining the need for targeted investments and specialized supports," it said.
The report said nine per cent of homeless people in the city identified as Indigenous, while Indigenous people make up three per cent of Toronto’s overall population.  It also said 58 per cent identified as Black, while Black people represent 10 per cent of the city's overall population.  
The most frequently cited reason for loss of housing was lack of income, the city said.
"The majority of people surveyed reported one or more health issue including mental health concerns, an illness or medical condition and substance use," it said.
The report said the housing crisis requires strategic responses and Toronto is already seeing a reduction in the number of homeless people due to fewer refugee claimants in shelters, lower encampment numbers and movement of people into permanent housing.
"Individuals said the top factors that could have helped them avoid homelessness were housing affordability programs such as rent-geared-to-income (RGI), advice on tenant legal rights and support with employment or education," the report said.
The city said a total of 1,078 people living outside were referred into the shelter system and more than 4,300 people were housed last year.
"Over the next decade, the city will invest in up to 20 new shelter sites that will be smaller, more cost effective and better suited to the needs of the people they serve," it said, adding that seven of those sites have already been selected.
More than 80,000 people in Ontario were homeless in 2024, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario has said.
The association has called for a fundamentally different approach to tackling the homelessness crisis, one that prioritizes long-term housing solutions rather than temporary measures.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
