Did you know?

Almost 85,000 people in Ontario experienced known homelessness in 2025; an increase of nearly 8% or more than 6,000 people from the previous year. (Association of Municipalities of Ontario)

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There are almost 2,000 encampments in Ontario creating challenges for both unhoused people and communities concerned about the use of public spaces. (Association of Municipalities of Ontario)

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There are 300,000 households on the social housing wait list, an indication of the extreme need for deeply affordable housing in the province. (Association of Municipalities of Ontario)

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Who cares about having a place to call home?

We do.

That housing remains the biggest issue in the GTA doesn't need to be stated. We see it every day with the lack of affordable housing driving more people into homelessness. Streets and parks are not homes. As a community we must prioritize solutions, so they don't have to be.

Through Reaching Home, Canada's national homelessness strategy, United Way collaborates with the Regional Municipality of York Region, local councils and others to reduce homelessness.With the annual point-in-time count indicating that homelessness in the region has quadrupled since 2016 — to 1,148 people — the stakes are high. Stewarding more than $10 million in government funding, United Way has directed grants to 12 impactful programs providing housing support, from eviction, prevention and encampment outreach to drop-in services, as well as 40+ seasonal projects to meet the urgent needs of those living unsheltered. A Coordinated Access System removes barriers and connects people in need to emergency housing and supports, while almost 50 new transitional and permanent supportive housing units have been enabled through Reaching Home.

United Way championed affordable housing through the release of Built for Good: Delivering the Housing Ontario Needs, developed with the Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF) and research partner SHS. A costed, delivery-ready plan, it highlights the importance of leaning into non-profit and co-op housing to build, protect and sustain affordability, an approach reflected in the federal government's Build Canada Homes initiative. The report sets 10-year housing targets, two- and five-year milestones and investment estimates to eliminate core housing need across the province. A complementary GTA Spotlight report provides municipal-level data to guide local action. Shared with all levels of government, the report is helping inform housing planning and strategies across jurisdictions.

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Other United Way research shows the challenges being faced by asylum seekers, refugees and the sector that serves them, as they struggle to build a life here. While housing is an essential part, people also need coordinated supports to help them settle. When the Ground Shifts, developed with the City of Toronto and Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, documents how 2024 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada funding changes are reducing capacity for agencies to meet rising need. Our research on African asylum seekers, shaped by interviews with asylum seekers and service providers, shows the human impact of those system pressures: people arriving in search of safety yet facing unaffordable housing, employment barriers, anti-Black racism and uneven access to basic supports.

The Slaight Family Housing Lab confronts Toronto's escalating homelessness crisis with a renewed commitment to addressing urgent need and an evidence-based approach to moving people from streets to homes. Made possible through a $25-million transformational gift, the unprecedented partnership between St. Michael's Hospital's MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, United Way and frontline agencies brings the best of community organizations and healthcare systems together. The Lab will improve housing and health for 16,000+ and help 300 people move into housing with wraparound and integrated supports. It will also establish a model for long-term success in transitioning people with complex needs into housing, setting a new standard for compassionate civic response.

Reasons to Hope

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