TTC warming buses: Community aid or social concern? [Video]

As the frigid winds of winter swept through Toronto’s streets, five TTC buses quietly transformed into sanctuaries on wheels, offering warmth and refuge to the city’s homeless population overnight when traditional shelters reached capacity.

Last November, as Toronto’s homeless shelters stretched their limits, the Toronto Transit Commission started providing buses to be used as temporary shelters for the homeless population at Spadina and Union stations. They’re officially known as warming buses.

And while they serve a need, not everyone is convinced they’re a good idea.

According to the City of Toronto, on Oct. 1, 2023, the was sheltering 10,700 people. Of those approximately 9,000 people are in the shelter system, while approximately 1,700 people were living in bridging hotels and programs supported by the Canadian Red Cross.

“People who are suffering severe addiction withdrawal or mental health episodes or have nowhere else to go,” said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green in a recent interview with the …