Shelter Capacity Report 2016

From Employment and Social Development Canada

Introduction

The annual Shelter Capacity Report provides capacity statistics for emergency homeless shelters in Canada. The number of shelter facilities and the number of permanent beds are reported for each province and territory, as well as by community. In addition, brief overviews of Transitional Housing facilities and Violence Against Women shelters are provided in the appendices.

The information contained in this report was obtained from the National Service Provider List (NSPL), a comprehensive listing of homeless shelters in Canada. The NSPL is maintained by the Community Development and Homelessness Partnerships Directorate as part of the National Homelessness Information System (NHIS), a data development initiative that focuses on the collection and analysis of homeless shelter data in Canada.

Types of shelters

Emergency shelters

Emergency shelters are defined as facilities providing temporary, short-term accommodation for homeless individuals and families. This may or may not include other services such as food, clothing or counselling.

Transitional housing

Transitional housing provides temporary shelter, but can be differentiated from emergency shelters by the longer length of stay and greater intensity of support services offered to clients. Transitional housing is an intermediate step between emergency shelter and permanent housing. Support services help clients gain stability and self-sufficiency to maintain permanent housing. Stays are typically between three months and three years.

Violence against women (VAW) shelters

Violence against women (VAW) shelters are defined as facilities providing temporary shelter to single women or women with children fleeing domestic abuse. They may function in either a crisis capacity or as transitional or second-stage housing.

Emergency shelters and transitional housing are further characterized according to the clients they serve

  • Men’s shelters provide services to adult males. Some also accept youth.
  • Women’s shelters provide services to adult females. Some also accept youth.
  • General shelters provide services to adult males and females. Some also accept youth.
  • Youth shelters provide services to youth. Shelters have varying definitions of youth, which may include a range of ages from 12 to 29 years.
  • Family shelters provide services to families and adults with dependants. Some also accept single adult women without dependants.

Shelter capacity

401 emergency shelters and 15,450 permanent beds

These numbers have remained relatively stable over the past five years.

Emergency shelter beds by clientele served

  • 36% of shelter beds in Canada are found in general shelters serving both men and women.
  • Men’s shelters account for a greater percentage of all shelter beds (29%) compared to women’s shelters (14%).
  • Family shelters account for 11% of all shelter beds.
  • Shelters that exclusively serve youth tend to be smaller in size. Although they make up almost a quarter of all shelters, they account only for 10% of all emergency shelter beds.
Chart of emergency shelter beds by clientele served. Description immediately precedes the chart.

Community

The majority of shelter beds (81%) are found in large cities. While smaller communities have fewer shelter beds, they still account for nearly half (41%) of all emergency shelters.

The average number of beds is 18 per shelter in small communities versus 53 per shelter in large communities.

Community breakdown chart. Description immediately follows the chart.
Text description: Community breakdown graphic
  • 41% of emergency shelters are found in small communities with a population of less than 300,000.
  • 59% of emergency shelters are found in large communities with a population of more than 300,000.
  • 19% of permanent shelter beds are found in small communities with a population of less than 300,000.
  • 81% of permanent shelter beds are found in large communities with a population of more than 300,000.

National summary: Emergency shelters*

Province/Territory 2016 2015 2013-2014
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Newfoundland and Labrador 5 53 5 53 5 53
Nova Scotia 8 208 7 193 7 188
New Brunswick 9 150 9 150 8 155
Prince Edward Island 1 7 1 7 1 7
Québec 74 1,948 79 1,995 86 2,091
Ontario 147 6,622 145 6,715 137 6,843
Manitoba 15 661 15 661 16 713
Saskatchewan 21 439 21 459 24 513
Alberta 36 3,182 36 3,182 36 2,853
British Columbia 76 2,019 72 1,859 74 1,907
Yukon 3 27 3 20 3 16
Northwest Territories 4 100 4 100 4 109
Nunavut 2 34 2 34 2 34
Canada 401 15,450 399 15,428 403 15,482

*Changes in the reported number of shelters and beds during the years 2013 to 2016 primarily reflect updated information rather than actual changes in national shelter capacity.

Emergency shelters by clientele served

Province/Territory General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Newfoundland and Labrador 2 24 0 0 0 0 2 17 1 12 5 53
Nova Scotia 2 25 2 120 3 43 1 20 0 0 8 208
New Brunswick 3 66 2 45 2 24 2 15 0 0 9 150
Prince Edward Island 0 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7
Québec 25 418 9 891 12 261 27 324 1 54 74 1,948
Ontario 28 854 37 2,546 26 1,070 36 728 20 1,424 147 6,622
Manitoba 10 534 0 0 0 0 2 24 3 103 15 661
Saskatchewan 4 70 4 116 10 242 3 11 0 0 21 439
Alberta 17 2,416 4 389 4 134 10 183 1 60 36 3,182
British Columbia 40 1,203 10 356 11 285 12 140 3 35 76 2,019
Yukon 1 14 0 0 1 2 1 11 0 0 3 27
Northwest Territories 0 0 1 35 1 23 1 10 1 32 4 100
Nunavut 0 0 1 22 1 12 0 0 0 0 2 34
Canada 132 5,624 71 4,527 71 2,096 97 1,483 30 1,720 401 15,450

Emergency shelters and shelter beds by community

Newfoundland and Labrador

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
St. John’s 2 24 0 0 0 0 2 17 1 12 5 53
Total 2 24 0 0 0 0 2 17 1 12 5 53

Nova Scotia

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Halifax 0 0 2 120 2 36 1 20 0 0 5 176
Sydney 1 10 0 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 2 17
Truro 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15
Total 2 25 2 120 3 43 1 20 0 0 8 208

New Brunswick

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Bathurst 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
Fredericton 0 0 1 25 1 14 0 0 0 0 2 39
Miramichi 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 5
Moncton 2 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 60
Saint John 0 0 1 20 1 10 1 10 0 0 3 40
Total 3 66 2 45 2 24 2 15 0 0 9 150

Prince Edward Island

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Charlottetown 0 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7
Total 0 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7

Quebec

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Amos 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8
Baie-Comeau 0 0 1 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 17
Drummondville 1 9 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 0 2 18
Fermont 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 1 6
Gatineau 1 55 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 2 61
Granby 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 20 0 0 1 20
Grand-Mère 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15
Ham-Sud 1 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 17
Joliette 1 10 0 0 0 0 2 21 0 0 3 31
Mont-Laurier 1 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9
Montréal 4 79 6 832 9 235 17 226 1 54 37 1,426
Québec City 3 52 1 39 1 12 2 14 0 0 7 117
Rouyn-Noranda 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15
Saguenay 2 45 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 48
St-Eugène-de-Guigues 1 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14
Sherbrooke 1 22 0 0 1 8 1 8 0 0 3 38
St-Georges 2 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 25
Thetford Mines 1 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9
Trois-Rivières 1 8 0 0 0 0 1 11 0 0 2 19
Valleyfield 2 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 26
Victoriaville 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 0 1 9
Total 25 418 9 891 12 261 27 324 1 54 74 1,948

Ontario

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Barrie-Simcoe 1 20 1 20 0 0 1 15 0 0 3 55
Brantford 1 36 1 38 0 0 1 20 0 0 3 94
Cochrane 0 0 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10
Dufferin region 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 20 0 0 1 20
Durham region 0 0 1 40 1 45 1 13 1 20 4 118
Guelph 0 0 1 18 1 14 1 16 2 35 5 83
Halton region 2 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 20 3 55
Hamilton 0 0 3 215 1 20 1 20 1 103 6 358
Hunstville 0 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8
Jarvis 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 1 8
Kenora 1 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 25
Kingston 2 39 1 18 2 24 1 15 0 0 6 96
Lindsay 1 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 19
London 1 45 2 255 1 31 0 0 1 41 5 372
Niagara region 3 81 0 0 1 20 2 30 1 16 7 147
Nippissing/North Bay 1 19 0 0 1 10 0 0 0 0 2 29
Ottawa 1 12 3 449 2 115 2 24 3 554 11 1,154
Peel region 1 119 1 60 0 0 1 14 1 225 4 418
Peterborough 0 0 1 40 1 10 1 15 1 15 4 80
Red Lake 1 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 18
Sarnia 1 25 1 12 0 0 1 9 1 8 4 54
Sault Ste. Marie 0 0 1 24 1 7 1 10 1 7 4 48
Sioux Lookout 2 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 34
Stratford 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 0 1 14
Sudbury 0 0 1 36 0 0 1 16 1 20 3 72
Thunder Bay 1 42 2 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 76
Timmins 1 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 28
Toronto 3 190 12 1,145 12 735 10 374 3 240 40 2,684
Waterloo region 2 42 1 39 0 0 4 45 1 60 8 186
Windsor 2 25 1 56 1 11 1 10 0 0 5 102
York region 0 0 1 29 1 28 3 40 1 60 6 157
Total 28 854 37 2,546 26 1,070 36 728 20 1,424 147 6,622

Manitoba

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Brandon 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 2 12
Dauphin 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
Flin Flon 1 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 26
Swan River 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10
The Pas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 34 1 34
Thompson 1 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 24
Winnipeg 5 465 0 0 0 0 2 24 1 60 8 549
Total 10 534 0 0 0 0 2 24 3 103 15 661

Saskatchewan

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Moose Jaw 1 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12
North Battleford 1 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16
Prince Albert 1 22 0 0 2 58 0 0 0 0 3 80
Regina 0 0 2 64 3 88 0 0 0 0 5 152
Saskatoon 1 20 2 52 5 96 3 11 0 0 11 179
Total 4 70 4 116 10 242 3 11 0 0 21 439

Alberta

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Calgary 5 1,746 1 80 2 18 3 45 1 60 12 1,949
Edmonton 4 307 1 249 2 116 2 88 0 0 9 760
Grand Prairie 1 92 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 0 2 106
High Level 1 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 20
Lethbridge 1 80 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 0 2 94
Lloydminster 0 0 1 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 28
Medicine Hat 1 30 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 2 36
Red Deer 2 61 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 3 69
Wood Buffalo 2 80 1 32 0 0 1 8 0 0 4 120
Total 17 2,416 4 389 4 134 10 183 1 60 36 3,182

British Columbia

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Abbotsford 1 20 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 0 2 34
Campbell River 1 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 22
Chetwynd 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
Chilliwack 1 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11
Courtenay 1 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14
Dawson Creek 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8
Duncan 1 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 30
Fort Nelson 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
Fort St. John 1 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 20
Kamloops 1 35 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 2 41
Kelowna 1 60 0 0 1 20 1 10 0 0 3 90
Mission 1 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 20
Nanaimo 0 0 1 23 1 10 0 0 0 0 2 33
Nelson 1 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 17
Penticton 1 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11
Port Alberni 1 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12
Prince George 1 30 1 21 1 30 1 10 0 0 4 91
Prince Rupert 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10
Quesnel 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10
Smithers 1 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9
Squamish 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15
Terrace 1 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16
Vancouver 14 595 7 291 7 200 7 90 2 30 37 1,206
Vernon 1 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 25
Victoria 3 174 1 21 1 25 1 10 1 5 7 235
Williams Lake 1 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 30
Total 40 1,203 10 356 11 285 12 140 3 35 76 2,019

Yukon

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Dawson City 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 2
Whitehorse 1 14 0 0 0 0 1 11 0 0 2 25
Total 1 14 0 0 1 2 1 11 0 0 3 27

Northwest Territories

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Yellowknife 0 0 1 35 1 23 1 10 1 32 4 100
Total 0 0 1 35 1 23 1 10 1 32 4 100

Nunavut

General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Iqaluit 0 0 1 22 1 12 0 0 0 0 2 34
Total 0 0 1 22 1 12 0 0 0 0 2 34

Appendix A: Transitional housing by clientele served

Province/Territory General Men’s Women’s Youth Family Total
Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds Shelters Beds
Newfoundland and Labrador 2 74 1 2 2 12 2 25 0 0 7 113
Nova Scotia 0 0 1 19 3 42 2 15 0 0 6 76
New Brunswick 0 0 0 0 1 12 1 8 0 0 2 20
Prince Edward Island 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Québec 26 610 22 525 12 210 30 362 5 79 95 1,786
Ontario 19 747 18 513 5 94 24 298 4 446 70 2,098
Manitoba 7 159 3 75 0 0 2 10 2 42 14 286
Saskatchewan 3 71 6 103 3 36 13 170 1 16 26 396
Alberta 12 525 3 315 6 182 8 80 2 101 31 1,203
British Columbia 20 627 4 70 4 50 3 57 0 0 31 804
Yukon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Northwest Territories 0 0 1 32 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 37
Nunavut 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Canada 89 2,813 59 1,654 36 638 85 1,025 15 689 284 6,819

Appendix B: Violence against women shelters

Province/Territory Shelters Beds
Newfoundland and Labrador 14 136
Nova Scotia 16 224
New Brunswick 16 230
Prince Edward Island 3 45
Québec 94 1,118
Ontario 118 2,291
Manitoba 20 387
Saskatchewan 18 301
Alberta 44 1,032
British Columbia 94 994
Yukon 5 37
Northwest Territories 5 44
Nunavut 5 34
Canada 452 6,873
Report a problem or mistake on this page

Privacy statement

The information you provide through this survey is collected under the authority of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act (DESDA) for the purpose of measuring the performance of Canada.ca and continually improving the website. Your participation is voluntary.

Please do not include sensitive personal information in the message box, such as your name, address, Social Insurance Number, personal finances, medical or work history or any other information by which you or anyone else can be identified by your comments or views.

Any personal information collected will be administered in accordance with the Department of Employment and Social Development Act, the Privacy Act and other applicable privacy laws governing the protection of personal information under the control of the Department of Employment and Social Development. Survey responses will not be attributed to individuals.

If you wish to obtain information related to this survey, you may submit a request to the Department of Employment and Social Development pursuant to the Access to Information Act. Instructions for making a request are provided in the publication InfoSource, copies of which are located in local Service Canada Centres.

You have the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding the institution’s handling of your personal information at: How to file a complaint.

When making a request, please refer to the name of this survey: Report a Problem or Mistake on This Page.

Please select all that apply:

Privacy statement

Thank you for your help!

You will not receive a reply. For enquiries, contact us.

Date modified: