What Is Emergency Housing in Ontario?
Emergency housing in Ontario is a safe place to sleep tonight for people who have nowhere else to go. It is not a permanent home: it is the bridge between tonight and a longer-term plan, with a bed, a meal, a shower, and a worker to help you figure out what comes next.
If you need a bed tonight, call now. In Ottawa call 3-1-1 (toll-free 1-866-261-9799). In Toronto call Central Intake at 416-338-4766. Anywhere else, call or text 2-1-1. If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
What emergency housing means
Emergency housing is short-term accommodation for people experiencing homelessness or fleeing an unsafe home. In Ontario it is run locally: each city or region has its own service manager, shelters, and intake system, so there is no single Ontario-wide shelter list or phone number. A stay is usually measured in nights and weeks, not months.
The types of emergency housing
| Type | Who it is for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency shelter | Single adults, and in some cities couples | A bed, meals, showers and laundry. Some accept walk-ins; others need a referral. |
| Family shelter | Families with children | Placement is usually through city intake, not walk-in. In Ottawa, families are referred by 3-1-1. |
| Violence-against-women shelter | Women and gender-diverse people fleeing abuse, with or without children | Confidential locations. Call the crisis line first; staff arrange safe entry. |
| Youth shelter | Young people, usually aged 16 to 20 or 21 | Emergency beds plus help with school and work. In Ottawa, Youth Services Bureau shelters serve youth 12 to 20. |
| Transitional housing | People moving out of emergency shelter who need more time | A room of your own for weeks or months, with a case manager. |
| Motel placement | Families and others when shelters are full | A hotel or motel room arranged and paid for through city intake. |
Who qualifies for emergency housing?
Anyone in Ontario who has no safe place to sleep tonight can ask for emergency housing. There is no income test to get a shelter bed. You do not need identification, a referral, a fixed address, or Ontario health coverage. Lack of ID is not a reason to stay outside. Some shelters serve a specific group only, and intake will match you to one that fits. If you have a disability, a service animal, a pet, medication that needs refrigeration, or a child with you, say so when you call. If you are fleeing violence, do not wait for intake: call a crisis line directly, such as the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511 (24/7).
What to do tonight, step by step
- Call the intake number for the city where you are now, using the table below. Tell intake who needs shelter, including children, youth, pets and accessibility needs.
- If you cannot reach intake, go to a walk-in shelter. In Ottawa, The Ottawa Mission (35 Waller Street) and Shepherds of Good Hope (256 King Edward Avenue) accept walk-ins; arrive early, as the Mission starts bed sign-up at 9 AM.
- If you are under 21, call the youth line for your city: in Ottawa, the Youth Services Bureau at 613-789-8220 (young women) or 613-907-8975 (young men).
- If you are fleeing violence, call a crisis line directly. Do not go to a published address for a violence-against-women shelter: locations are confidential.
- If every shelter is full, stay in contact with intake. Cities activate overflow beds and motel placements when needed, and outreach teams can transport you to a warming space. In extreme cold, call intake for transport or 9-1-1.
- Outside Ontario's big cities, call or text 2-1-1: free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
Intake numbers by city
Call the number for where you are. If it does not answer, call 2-1-1.
| City or region | Who to call | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 3-1-1, or toll-free 1-866-261-9799 | 24/7 |
| Toronto | Central Intake 416-338-4766; toll-free 1-877-338-3398; or 3-1-1 | 24/7 |
| Hamilton | 2-1-1 (no city-wide central shelter intake number was found) | 24/7 |
| London | Coordinated Access 519-661-4663 (519-661-HOME) or 1-833-932-2297 | Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Waterloo Region | First Connect 519-624-9133 (adults); families 519-749-2450, after hours 519-501-7947; youth 519-749-1450 | Adults and youth lines 24/7 |
| York Region | Emergency Housing Central Intake 1-877-464-9675 ext. 76140 | 24/7 |
| Durham Region | Outreach team 905-666-6239 ext. 5510; toll-free 1-888-721-0622 ext. 5510; or dial 311 and press 4 | Outreach team 24/7 |
| Peterborough | Social Services shelter intake 705-748-8830; after hours 705-926-0096; Brock Mission 705-748-4766 ext. 1; YES Shelter 705-748-3851 | Intake Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; shelters 24/7 |
| Kingston | 2-1-1; Home Base Housing (shelter operator) 613-542-6672 | 2-1-1 is 24/7 |
What to bring, and what it costs
Bring ID if you have it, medication, your phone and charger, and a change of clothes. If you do not have ID, a phone, or a change of clothes, go anyway: shelters can help with those things. Emergency shelter costs nothing: beds, meals and basic services are free in Ontario.
After tonight: rent-geared-to-income housing and the wait list
One night in shelter is the start, not the plan. The longer-term goal for most people is rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing, where rent is usually about 30 per cent of a household's monthly income. Ontario has 47 service managers, each running its own wait list, so apply to your city's service manager as soon as you can: wait lists are long. If you are fleeing abuse by someone you lived with in the past three months, ask about Special Priority, which moves you to the top of the list. You are entitled to only one RGI offer: if you refuse it, your file will be cancelled.
Read rent-geared-to-income housing in Ontario and RGI eligibility in Ontario.
Search 6,000+ verified Ontario listings in the directory
Look up shelters, drop-ins, food programs and housing help.
Frequently asked questions
What is emergency housing in Ontario?
Emergency housing is a safe place to sleep tonight for people who have nowhere else to go: emergency shelters, transitional housing, motel placements when shelters are full, family shelters, violence-against-women shelters and youth shelters.
Who qualifies for emergency housing in Ontario?
Anyone in Ontario who has no safe place to sleep tonight can ask for emergency housing. There is no income test, and you do not need identification, a referral or a fixed address.
What should I do first if I need emergency housing tonight?
Call the shelter intake number for the city where you are now: 3-1-1 in Ottawa, Central Intake at 416-338-4766 in Toronto, and 2-1-1 anywhere else in Ontario. If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
What happens after a night in emergency housing?
Work with a shelter case manager or housing worker. Most people apply for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing through their city's service manager, at about 30 per cent of household income as rent. Apply as soon as you can.