Bathroom Safety & Protocol: A Practical Guide for Drop-ins

Bathrooms can be challenging spaces to manage in a drop-in. For people who live on the street, they can be one of the only available spaces that offer privacy; for this reason, drop-in bathrooms host a wide variety of uses beyond their primary function. They are a space where people feel safe from others and can have a quiet moment alone. They are a place where people bathe and sort through their belongings. They are spaces where people can have private conversations with one another, and engage in intimacy – including having sex. Drop-in bathrooms are also a place where people use drugs, and may experience an overdose.

As a bustling part of our spaces, drop-in bathrooms must be vigilantly maintained as safe and clean areas. For this reason, TDIN has created this guide of good practices. This guide reflects the value that bathrooms have for participants who lack access to privacy, and our obligation to support them to meet their needs while ensuring that the primary function of bathrooms is maintained.

In developing this guide, TDIN would like to recognize the collective knowledge of our members who participated in TDIN’s Bathroom Safety and Protocol Forum.