Protestors disrupted a meeting at city hall today after councillors decided to delay a debate on the status of homeless shelters in Toronto.

Councillor Adam Vaughan's motion that asked for an emergency debate this week failed to receive the necessary two-thirds approval.

Activitists with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty have been calling for immediate action to make more shelter space available. 

OCAP's John Clarke says the group will take its own action and attempt to set up a shelter inside Metro Hall on March 7th.

Last week, mayor Rob Ford said there are more than enough shelter beds in the city. Clarke calls the comment "appalling."

"His arrogance is matched only by his ignorance," Clarke says of the mayor.

At today's council meeting, councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong pointed out stats that show 167 shelter beds were empty last night.

"It is not necessarily the crisis that it is purported to be," he says.

But the stats don't convince Vaughan.

"You may be able to point your finger at statistics that show there's an open," Vaughan says. "But it doesn't mean that it's for the right gender, doesn't mean it's in the right neighbourhood, doesn't mean it's accessible."

The matter will now be discussed at committee level next month.