Emergency Shelter
Are you in a dangerous situation? Call the crisis line or 911.
Shelter Program
NYWS provides a 17-bedroom emergency shelter with the capacity to house up to 45 women, trans, non-binary adults and children, plus - a first in the Toronto area - a kennel for their pets! Our fully accessible space provides outdoor gardens for culturally specific foods and indigenous medicines, living rooms, a tech lounge, a meditation room, 2 full kitchens, a gym, and indoor and outdoor play areas.
The NYWS Emergency Shelter is available to women,trans folks and non-binary folks experiencing violence. All clients receive safety planning support and a full risk and needs assessment upon arrival, and throughout their stay with us. For clients living in shelter, we offer Adults’ and Children’s Programming, consisting of workshop opportunities for education, connection and healing.
For more information, please contact us.
Pet Services
We are proud to have been the city’s first pet-friendly gender-based violence shelter. Pets are a member of the family too, and are also vulnerable to abuse in violent homes. We have an on-site pet kennel and an ongoing relationship with the Toronto Humane Society to ensure all pets are well supported and safe during their stay at North York Women’s Shelter.
Food Justice & Food Security Program
Our food program’s primary objective is supporting residents of NYWS towards accessing their right to nutritious, culturally competent foods, resource development and the knowledge transfer and exchange that comes with community development. This is a protective factor for food insecurity for residents when they leave the shelter. The food program also creates cultural safety for Indigenous clients and clients of colour for whom a lack of culturally competent foods is a form of structural violence, by working collaboratively with families to ensure food menus are co-created and incorporate the diverse cuisines of the many different cultures and backgrounds of families we serve.