Staying Safe During the Holidays: Extra Shelter Beds & Hotlines in Toronto (Winter 2025)

The holiday season can be a high-risk time for those in abusive situations. This guide provides safety tips and a vital list of 24/7 crisis hotlines in Toronto. Learn about the city's winter plan for extra shelter space and the resources available to help you stay safe this Winter 2025.

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, family, and celebration. But for many people living in abusive homes, it is the most dangerous and isolating time of the year.

The pressures of the season—financial stress, increased alcohol use, forced proximity with family, and the intense expectation to "keep the peace"—can create a volatile environment where abuse can escalate dramatically.

If you are feeling anxious about the upcoming holidays, please know you are not alone, and help does not take a vacation. This is your guide to the supports and services available 24/7 in Toronto this winter.

Domestic violence shelters in Toronto operate at or near capacity all year round. However, during the winter months, the entire city's emergency shelter system expands to protect vulnerable people from the cold.

This means that when you call for help, the crisis lines have access to an interconnected network. While a bed at a specialized domestic violence shelter is always the first choice, the primary goal is to get you and your children to any safe space immediately. This could include beds in the city's 24/7 warming centres or other women-only facilities.

The most important takeaway is this: Do not assume there is no room for you. The system is designed to find a safe place for you in a crisis. Always make the call.

These phone lines are confidential, free, and operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Save these numbers in your phone.

• Assaulted Women's Helpline
  • Phone: 416-863-0511 (Toll-Free: 1-866-863-0511)
  • This is your primary line for crisis counselling, safety planning, and getting access to a shelter in the GTA.
• Victim Services Toronto
  • Phone: 416-808-7066
  • For immediate, on-site crisis response. They work directly with police and can help with emergency transportation, safety planning, and connecting you to resources right after an incident.
• Talk 4 Healing
  • Phone: 1-855-554-HEAL (4325)
  • A culturally-grounded helpline for Indigenous women across Ontario, available in 14 Indigenous languages.
• Distress Centre of Greater Toronto
  • Phone: 416-408-4357 (HELP)
  • For emotional support. If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or alone during the holidays, this line offers immediate emotional support and crisis intervention.
• 211 Toronto
  • Phone: Dial 2-1-1
  • For non-emergency community support. If you need to find an open food bank, a free community meal, or other social services that may have altered holiday hours, 211 has the most up-to-date information.

If you are in a tense or unsafe situation, consider these steps:

• Create a Code Word. Arrange a seemingly innocent word or phrase with a trusted friend, family member, or neighbour. When they hear you say it in a text or on a call, they know to immediately call 911.
• Keep Your Phone Ready. Keep your phone charged and on your person at all times.
• Plan Your Escape. Know the fastest and safest way out of your home from any room. If you have children, talk to them about the plan in a simple, non-frightening way (e.g., "If Mommy says 'purple elephant,' we are going to go straight out the back door and to our special meeting spot").
• Prepare a "Go-Bag." If possible, discreetly pack a small bag with essentials like ID, keys, medication, cash, and a phone charger. Hide it somewhere you can grab it quickly, or leave it at a trusted friend's house.
• Trust Your Gut. You are the expert on your own safety. If a situation feels like it is escalating, it is. Don't wait to see what happens next. Leave and get to a safe place.

You deserve to be safe. You do not have to sacrifice your well-being for the sake of a "happy holiday." Help is available right now. Please make the call.