New Men's Emergency and Transitional Housing

Emergency and transitional housing are two different forms of housing. Within the new building, both types of housing will be offered to support men at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Emergency housing offers safe short-term accommodation for people who are currently experiencing homelessness. Emergency housing typically provides accommodation for up to 30 days. People accessing emergency housing are provided with support to help them find and retain permanent housing.

Transitional housing is more long-term with individuals generally staying for three months to one year. Transitional housing provides a safe, secure, and supportive environment for those seeking affordable housing in the community. It is intended to bridge the gap between emergency housing and permanent housing and provides individualized support.

If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, an emergency or transitional housing facility can provide immediate temporary housing and support. Learn more about the available supports and eligibility requirements at york.ca/emergencyhousing

The proposed location for this building is at 14452 Yonge Street (just south of Industrial Parkway South) in the Town of Aurora. The location was chosen because of its size, central location in York Region and proximity to transit, places of employment, and social and medical services. The Industrial Parkway South area is one of York Region’s major employment areas and features manufacturing and wholesale trade employment.

The new location in the Town of Aurora will provide space for more inclusive and flexible supports for people experiencing homelessness to develop important life skills, gain employment and work towards moving into permanent housing. 

Additionally, this property is already owned by York Region. The site will be shared with the new Henderson Sewage Pumping Station, making it a fiscally responsible option for taxpayers.  

Porter Place, located in the Town of East Gwillimbury, is York Region’s only emergency housing building dedicated to men experiencing homelessness. Currently, there are limited transitional housing options available for men in York Region. Porter Place is an aging building with limited room for expansion and cannot fully support the range of programs that will best support men to find and keep housing. The proposed building at 14452 Yonge Street will expand emergency and transitional housing and supportive programming capacity in York Region for adult men.

The new building will be more than just a place to stay. Designed with an inclusive approach that puts people first, the building will include spaces for a range of resources such as life skills and wellness programming, medical and mental health supports, income assistance and options for emergency and transitional housing. 

The new building’s design, size, and height have not yet been finalized. Planning applications must be submitted to and approved by the Town of Aurora. Currently, York Region anticipates submitting a planning application for a five-storey building plus basement. The height of the building will be comparable to the Delmanor Aurora building located to the south of the property at 14452 Yonge Street.

COVID-19 Public Health measures continue to inform service delivery and space considerations for congregate living settings. Best practices will be incorporated as building plans are developed.

The Council-approved budget for the design and construction of the new emergency and transitional housing building is approximately $15 million.

The proposed emergency and transitional housing development at 14452 Yonge Street will require municipal planning approvals through a Zoning By-law and Site Plan Amendment from the Town of Aurora. Town Council will provide final approval of both amendments. A Zoning By-law Amendment was submitted to the Town in late June 2022. The required approvals on this submission will include a mandatory public meeting, hosted by the Town of Aurora, where attendees will have an opportunity to share any questions or comments about the proposal. 

One of the priorities in the Town of Aurora Official Plan is encouraging a broad range of housing, which includes affordable housing as well as emergency and transitional housing – just like the emergency and transitional housing York Region is proposing to build at 14452 Yonge Street. This proposed housing development will help to ensure that the Town of Aurora offers an appropriate range and mix of housing types and densities to meet the unique needs of current and future residents.

When the Town of Aurora considers York Region’s request for the proposed emergency and transitional housing building at 14452 Yonge Street, a number of studies, including environmental and traffic studies, will be required to secure approval.

Impacts on existing infrastructure and traffic

As part of the planning process, there will be a review of existing water and wastewater capacity. Any additional services required for the new development (hydro, water, sanitary and storm sewers) will also be considered through the planning process.

A traffic consultant will be retained to review the site plan design and analyze the traffic impact.

Impacts to the natural area

When York Region was planning the development of the Henderson Sewage Pumping Station, an arborist was retained to evaluate all trees on the property and assist with the preparation of the landscape plan for the site. For the parcel of land where the emergency and transitional housing has been proposed, most of the trees on site are in fair condition and will remain. With the preferred design option, two to three trees in satisfactory to good standing will be removed. A full landscape plan including new trees and plants will be proposed once the design concept is chosen.

IMPACTS TO Happy Woodlawn Pet Cemetery

The Happy Woodlawn Pet Cemetery is not located on the site. The cemetery is located on a different property owned by the Town of Aurora west of the Region-owned property.

IMPACTS TO Town of Aurora trail system

The site will be restored upon completion of the project. The trail to the west of the property will remain and be connected to the Town of Aurora’s trail system.

York Region is one of the safest communities in Canada. The safety and security of both, building residents and neighbours is a priority for York Region. Skilled staff will be available in the building to support residents 24 hours a day. York Region uses Good Neighbour Agreements in other communities and will review the use of a similar agreement for this building. A Good Neighbour Agreement outlines expectations for positive community living and sets out accountability for all neighbours.

All HYI housing developments are designed with safety in mind and plans are reviewed by York Regional Police (YRP) as part of the development process.

Community safety is a shared responsibility and York Region is committed to working with the community and community agencies, including YRP, to provide safe, secure and inclusive housing for all York Region residents. 

York Region will also work closely with neighbours and a Community Liaison Committee to ensure all perspectives about the design of the building and surrounding property are considered.

Similar to jurisdictions across the country, within York Region, areas with higher population show higher volume of calls to YRP. 

York Region has been supporting people experiencing homelessness for many years. According to YRP, there is no evidence or data to support any connections between the presence of emergency and transitional housing in a community and an increase in neighbourhood crime. 
People call YRP for many reasons, including when they need help. Over a 12-month, period, most calls to YRP from emergency and transitional housing locations in the Newmarket/Aurora area were to support individuals in crisis and not related to crimes. 

Providing support, resources, housing and community connections often results in a reduction in crime. 

York Region is proposing to install sidewalks along the front of the property as part of the emergency and transitional housing development. As the Region works with the Town of Aurora through the planning approvals process, we will explore additional opportunities to enhance safety for pedestrians in the area.

York Region is planning to pilot Passive House design to achieve increased energy efficiency and sustainability as part of the future emergency and transitional housing development. Passive House design is a voluntary standard for extremely energy-efficient buildings. By focusing on using “passive” influences like sunshine, shading and ventilation, Passive House buildings use 90% less energy than an average building. 

Passive House design standards include:

• Proper insulation and airtight construction to reduce energy and heat leaving the building
• High performance windows to provide insulation from both hot and cold temperatures
• Proper positioning of windows and ventilation systems to use natural heat from the sun in winter and smart shading in summer
• Heat Recovery Ventilation to ensure air feels clean and refreshing

A constant supply of fresh air and protection from noise pollution will help create a peaceful environment where individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness can participate in supportive counselling and life-skills training.

Energy savings realized through Passive House design are not only better for the environment, but they will also assist in cost recovery by reducing utility costs paid by the Region. Incorporating sustainable and energy efficient design as part of planned housing developments allows York Region to explore additional federal and provincial funding opportunities.

There is no single contributing factor to homelessness. Factors such as rising housing costs, a shortage of affordable housing as well as low income, health challenges, and personal or family crisis contribute to this very complex problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even harder for some of our vulnerable residents to keep their housing. Many residents have experienced homelessness for the first time because of the financial hardship imposed by the economic downturn during the pandemic.

Preventing homelessness is key to York Region’s strategy of encouraging stable housing for all residents. Programs and services focus on preventing homelessness and, supporting people who experience homelessness to secure safe housing as quickly as possible.

Working with community partners, York Region is building a stronger network of services to help individuals and families at risk of homelessness stay housed while also helping those experiencing homelessness find and keep housing. This is done by offering financial help, case management and counselling, emergency and transitional housing with client-centred wraparound supports, drop-in and aftercare services, family reunification and homemaking help.

York Region’s Diversion Program works with residents at risk of homelessness by providing them with supports and interventions to find safe, alternative housing options to reduce their need to access emergency housing.

Read more in York Region’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

Housing values on average have risen year over year for more than a decade in York Region. HYI has built affordable housing for many years, and the neighbourhoods surrounding their buildings continue to see the same trend of appreciation of property values. When Belinda’s Place was completed in 2016 it did not affect the average selling price of homes within the area. In fact, there has been a significant increase in the average selling price from 2016 to 2021.

This experience is supported by extensive Canadian and international peer-reviewed research. For example, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Centre for Real Estate looked at large, mixed-income buildings developed in single family neighbourhoods – particularly those where concerns about property devaluation were greatest. Results showed that these developments had no negative impact on property values.

A service provider will be selected to operate the building and be on site to support residents 24 hours a day. York Region works closely with the operator in delivering services and programs, supporting residents and the community. While the service operator conducts day-to-day operations, York Region is continuously engaged, communicating and responding to the community, neighbours, residents and operator. As the property owner and manager, HYI is responsible for maintenance and offers an emergency line for issues related to the building and property.

York Region intends to be a good neighbour, as it does with all other HYI buildings. Residents and neighbours of the building will have several direct lines of contact with York Region, HYI, the service provider and York Regional Police.

Planning for emergency and transitional housing at 14452 Yonge Street is just beginning and there will be many opportunities for the community to get involved.

A Community Liaison Committee made up of residents, business owners and local community agencies has been established to address community considerations, gather feedback and provide updates. 

Members of the Community Liaison Committee will work closely to address issues throughout the planning and construction phases of the development.

Anyone interested in joining the Community Liaison Committee can email @email

To receive  updates, please sign up for the project e-newsletter. You can also visit the project website at york.ca/menshousing

If you have questions or would like to learn more about this proposed emergency and transitional housing development, please email @email