A look inside a 'Sprung Structure' in Toronto
As it plans welcome centre for asylum seekers, Ottawa looking to other cities using similar shelters
As the City of Ottawa moves forward with a plan to build a temporary housing facility for asylum seekers, city staff say they're studying the examples set by other municipalities that already use the tent-like structures to house vulnerable populations.
Toronto has been using similar buildings, built by Canadian company Sprung Structures, for years. CBC recently got to tour one of the facilities to see what it's like inside.
One of Toronto's 24-hour respite centres sits on the shore of Lake Ontario, just off Lakeshore Boulevard E. It's operated by Dixon Hall, a multi-service agency that helps some of the community's most at-risk members.
"This building was a part of the winter action plan in 2019 when [the City of Toronto] recognized that they needed emergency shelters that were different from traditional shelters," said supervisor Praneeth DeSilva.
DeSilva said there was some community consultation at the time, but because of the building's smaller footprint the shelter didn't have to go through "the rigour of being a permanent structure."
Little privacy at Toronto shelter
When clients arrive, they sign in and are greeted at the reception desk that sits in the middle of a broad entrance corridor with cinder block walls. Washrooms, showers and a makeshift doctor's office are off to the side.
Past reception, the space opens up to a large communal room where clients spend their days and nights, and eat their meals. Dozens of folding cots fill most of the space, along with suitcases and plastic bags of belongings.
The space is fairly bright because the ceiling lets in natural light. It has all the other comforts of a permanent structure including air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter.
Privacy is virtually non-existent, however, as clients sleep side by side with little space between cots. The structure being planned in Ottawa is expected to be much larger and people will have separate bedrooms.
Still, some of those voicing opposition to Ottawa's plan have expressed concern for the dignity of those using the space — a concern DeSilva says he's heard about the Toronto shelter as well.
"I have heard [murmurings] about it, but I think the dignity comes from the operator and how you treat the people that you work with. I think we at Dixon Hall, we are kind of known for working with the community," he said.
In a written statement, the City of Toronto said the Sprung Structures were designed to broaden the range of services for people experiencing homelessness who may not otherwise access conventional shelter services.
"The sprung structures were identified as an innovative solution that could be built faster than conventionally constructed buildings. These structures are also able to meet accessibility standards and offer a suitable number of washrooms, showers, HVAC systems and other amenities," said the statement.
Kale Brown, Ottawa's acting director of housing and homelessness services, said while Toronto does not use its Sprung Structures for newcomer reception, the nearby Regional Municipality of Peel is "moving forward with one and the slightly different model."
"We're in close conversations with them and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and we'll be sharing information in terms of lessons learned and best practices moving forward," Brown said.
Pushback when shelters first arrived
Dixon Hall is one of three Sprung Structures used as part of Toronto's network of 24-hour respite centres, and is in a mostly non-residential neighbourhood.
The other two are located in Liberty Village, a vibrant neighbourhood full of shops, restaurants, condos and homes.
People who live and work there told CBC they remember similar pushback to what Ottawa is experiencing when the structures first went up.
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"Everybody would prefer they didn't exist at all, I suppose, but if they're going to exist ... you have to share the load. It's all part of your social responsibility," said Ross Howey, a member of the local residents' association.
Resident Jen Linker recalled an uptick in theft shortly after the facilities opened, but said it has since died down.
"I think that mostly everyone is just living pretty harmoniously," Linker said.
Cathy Crowe, a longtime street nurse and housing advocate in Toronto, advised planners in Ottawa to think about how they can involve the community.
"These sites are successful when there's a good community agency management of the site, good PR with the community, good ways that the community can volunteer and help out, whether it's for families or with children," Crowe said.
She also cautioned planners to think longer-term, and said the open-concept plan — called a "congregate model" — seen in Toronto might not always be the best fit.
"It looks to me like Ottawa is choosing kind of the Class A model of these structures, which is good," she said. "I wish we had known at the time these would still be up five years later, and they're not going anywhere soon. We would have maybe not chosen that congregate model."
Back at Dixon Hall, DeSilva argues the congregate model is working because it makes clients feel safer when they're together.
"It promotes community, right? It promotes engagement, it promotes contact. It mitigates safety concerns because our staff are able to see from one end of the building to the other," he said.
DeSilva said a key advantage of Sprung Structures is that they can be purpose-built, making them the most flexible and viable option for housing a variety of vulnerable populations.
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