The population experiencing homelessness across Ontario has risen by 17.9 per cent from 2022-23 to 2024-25, but Toronto saw the largest decrease, according to a new report by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO).
As the province’s most populous city, it’s no surprise that Toronto recorded the largest number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024-25, at 19,462, but it also recorded the largest year-over-year decline, falling by 8.2 per cent.
Niagara Falls had the second-largest decline of 7.0 per cent.
On the other hand, Durham, Peel and York regions saw dramatic spikes of 130.0 per cent, 90.5 per cent and 76.6 per cent respectively.
The report notes that the province announced a deal with Toronto in 2023-24 which included additional support for a range of services, including homeless shelters. That’s on top of base homelessness program spending of $701 million in 2025-26.