Shelters in the City of Toronto have responded to changing social, political and economic needs for the past 100 years. The Case Management Model for City-Operated Shelters was recently developed during a period where demands for accountability in government and the ways that services to homeless people are provided were under scrutiny. During the development of this handbook, Shelter Standards and the related Quality Assurance Review were implemented by Hostel Services. These initiatives influenced changes that are included in our model.The Shelter Management Information System (SMIS), the new integrated computerized system currently under development in partnership with the federal government, is a third and related initiative that will also support caseworkers in their application of the model. People accessing the shelter system are entitled to the same standards of service no matter where they are sheltered. The case management model provides a standardized format to guide workers when they are identifying and addressing individual and families’ needs. Client support is tailored to meet each person’s unique circumstance while they stay in the shelter and when assisting with their return to housing.