Dozens of young people are expected at city hall today to support a call for more funding for Toronto's 11 community-run youth shelters.

The Youth Shelter Interagency Network, which represents the not-for-profit groups that operate the sites' 541 beds on contract with the city, says many are near the breaking point.

They'll have to raise more than $5 million this year to provide food and shelter.

The network is asking that the city's current per diem rate – which averages $58.11 per bed, according to city figures – be increased by about 16 per cent, or an extra $9.

The shelters can't survive without more help, the network says. Some young people served by the shelters planned to show up at city hall today as council finalizes its 2007 budget.

"We have no place to speak, but want to convey the fact there's a lot of support for youth shelters, and that we are watching," said Maria Crawford, executive director of Eva's Initiatives, which operates three shelters.

Shelters near the brink can apply for more funding, but Crawford says waiting for a crisis is not the way to run the system. The city contracts out to the community agencies assuming that they will subsidize their operations with fundraising, something shelters run by the city aren't allowed to do.

"We just cannot continue to fundraise the increasing amounts we are being required to just to keep the lights on," Crawford said.

"There are more and more requirements that the city is putting on us, with respect to health and safety and space standards and training, but those things come at a cost," she said.

Phil Brown, general manager for the city's Shelter, Support and Housing division, acknowledged the pressures faced by the not-for-profit groups.

He said $29 million of the $71 million Toronto claims it's owed by the province would go to shelters.

Councillor David Shiner, who sits on the board of Eva's Initiatives, said Toronto has to prioritize better. The money the shelters are seeking would add $550,000 to $700,000 to the city's budget.

"You give me a choice between spending $3 million to renovate (the mayor's) office, $40 million to renovate Nathan Phillips Square, $560,000 a year in extra staffing for the mayor's office, or about $700,000 to bring up the per diems for youth shelters? Then it's a no-brainer."