Toronto Launches Downtown CORE Team to Address Vulnerabilities in Yonge and Dundas Area
Toronto, ON – Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the Toronto Police Service (TPS) have launched a significant new initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable populations in the bustling Yonge and Dundas area. The Downtown Community Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) Team, a one-year pilot program, seeks to address the complex needs of individuals struggling with health, mental health, substance use, and housing issues.
The Downtown CORE Team is designed to offer proactive, non-emergency support to improve access to essential health and social services. Unlike emergency crisis services, the CORE Team will not be reachable through 911 or 211. Instead, it focuses on providing short-term case management, health and social service referrals, and responses to substance use and overdose situations.
This initiative is spearheaded by a specialized group of public health nurses and a nurse practitioner, with support from the Toronto Police Service to ensure safety for both the team and the public. All team members are trained in trauma-informed practices, harm reduction strategies, and healing-centred engagement to foster an environment that promotes holistic well-being.
The Downtown CORE Team will work closely with local organizations including the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area, Toronto Community Crisis Service, Gerstein Crisis Centre, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Unity Health Toronto. The program will gather data and feedback through regular consultations with community partners, including individuals with lived experience of substance use and frontline service providers.
Toronto remains committed to enhancing the mental health, well-being, and safety of all its residents through innovative approaches like the Downtown CORE Team. For more details on this initiative, visit the City of Toronto’s Our Health, Our City webpage here and the SafeTO: A Community Safety & Well-Being Plan webpage here.
