The Downtown East Action Plan (DEAP) provides a set of actions to coordinate City services and address complex challenges in Toronto’s Downtown East area related to poverty, homelessness, community safety, mental health, substance use and the drug toxicity crisis.
The Downtown East Area is bound by Bloor Street to the north, Front Street to the south, Bay Street to the west, and the Don Valley Parkway to the east.
The Action Plan’s goals are:
- Safe, Welcoming, and Inclusive Communities
- Cross-Sectoral Trust and Collaboration
- Stability for people who are marginalized
- To be a model for the City’s response to complex issues
The Downtown East Action Plan was initiated by former Councillors Wong-Tam and Troisi as a 12-month Action Plan. In 2018, City Council approved the Enhanced 12-month Immediate Action Plan for the Downtown East, which included 36 action items and directed City staff to develop a longer-term five-year plan.
City staff, in collaboration with the City Councillor's office, engaged in broad consultations with the community to understand service needs and priorities and identify gaps. Consultation included community agencies, Business Improvement Areas, and local resident associations, with a focus on people with lived experience of homelessness and those who access services in the area. Read the Summary of Key Consultations in the Downtown East.
In July 2019, the Downtown East Five-year Action Plan was adopted by City Council. The Plan outlined a set of activities and actions under the four central outcomes to coordinate City services and response. However, the COVID-19 Pandemic happened and, like many other initiatives, that delayed the implementation and exacerbated the challenges we experience in the Downtown East. Homelessness became more visible in our parks and public spaces because of the health and safety distancing measures implemented in shelters (which were already crowded and overcapacity pre-pandemic), the Ontario Government released more than 2300 inmates from Provincial jails as the province looked to prevent the spread of COVID-19 inside correctional facilities, and the ongoing lack of adequate mental health and substance use and addiction treatment programs.
A report on the Downtown East Action Plan – Implementation Progress was received and adopted by City Council in July 2022.
During the 2022 municipal election, I heard loud and clear from residents across Toronto Centre that they felt the Downtown East Action Plan was not effective and needed to be recalibrated to better meet the needs of residents and businesses. I worked with City staff, residents, businesses, as well as other stakeholders and those with lived experience to Reset the Downtown East Action Plan and ensure it specifically included:
- funding for a dedicated Clean Streets team
- financial supports for businesses and Business Improvement Area’s responding to vandalism
- public realm concerns, and broken windows, a comprehensive review of park washrooms, and a feasibility study of year-round usage and new builds
- improved access to safe indoor and outdoor spaces for marginalized people
- grants to fund crisis intervention, de-escalation, and short-term case management
- support for Indigenous placemaking and place-keeping activities
- improvements to the Dundas-Sherbourne corridor
The 2025-2030 Downtown East Action Plan was adopted by City Council in July 2024, including the July 2022 – December 2023 Action Plan Progress Update.
