Toronto City Council resumes its monthly meeting today with another item that will draw supporters to the visitors’ gallery.

Council will debate a staff report that recommends allowing illegal immigrants access to social services such as food banks and shelter beds.

Yesterday councillors were greeted by noisy protesters over motion by Councillor Adam Vaughn to increase the number of beds at shelters.

Mayor Rob Ford says the city already has enough shelter beds. But Vaughn says they’re not always accessible to the homeless. He says a space in Scarborough isn’t much good to a homeless person in Etobicoke.

In the end, council decided not to hold the emergency debate on the issue. The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is threatening to take over Metro Hall as a makeshift shelter on March 7th.