Originally constructed in the 1950s, the facility which currently houses Toronto’s largest shelter for men, Seaton House, was never intended to serve as a long-term shelter, and has reached the end of its service life.
As a result, the City is undertaking a massive $556 million initiative, dubbed The George Street Revitalization (GSR) project, to replace the existing men’s shelter with a new, modern facility while simultaneously co-locating essential services, including a long-term care home, supportive housing, and a community service hub.
Phase one of the revitalization project involves the redevelopment of 309-345 George Street into a 10-storey institutional building that contains 80 emergency shelter beds, 100 transitional shelter beds, 124 long-term care beds, 70 supportive housing units, and a 2,269 square metre community hub.
According to a city staff report, the implementation of phase one will be within the approved Toronto Shelter and Support Services’ 2025-2034 Capital Budget of $556,437,000, exclusive of the supportive housing component — which comes out to roughly $1.5 million per bed.
Rendering of the development. Photo: City of Toronto.
The additional 70 units of supportive housing will be funded through the Housing Secretariat’s Council-Approved 2025 Capital Budget 2026–2034 Plan, which includes capital funding totalling $54,447,934.
As part of the project, the City has been relocating Seaton House residents to new shelter sites across Toronto. To date, four new shelter programs have opened under the project, and the final new GSR shelter program at 2299 Dundas St. W., which is currently under construction, will include up to 80 shelter spaces upon completion.
City staff are also exploring development opportunities to deliver even more affordable housing on the southern parcel of land at 295-305 George Street. A separate official plan and zoning by-law amendment is expected to be brought forward for consideration later on in 2025.
