Ontario at ‘tipping point’ as number of homeless grows: AMO

An in-depth study released Thursday by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) – a non-profit organization representing 444 municipalities in the province – details the growing toll of homelessness on individuals, families, communities and governments. Here’s some things to know.

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ONTARIO’S HOMELESSNESS CRISIS

The study, called Municipalities Under Pressure: The Human and Financial Cost of Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis, contains stark figures about the homeless population and encampments across the province. AMO did the study in partnership with Calgary-based software company HelpSeeker Technologies, the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association.

AMO is calling on provincial and federal governments to aid municipalities by taking “significant, long-term action” on affordable housing, mental health, addiction services and income supports to address homelessness.

“We need other orders of government to recognize the scale and the urgency of this crisis,” AMO president Robin Jones said at a news conference Thursday.

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An email statement from the office of Paul Calandra – Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing – said the provincial government has made “the largest investment in affordable housing and anti-homelessness programs in Ontario’s history,” though the figure wasn’t stated in the e-mail.

The federal government didn’t respond to a request for comment.

WHY PROVINCE IS AT A ‘TIPPING POINT’ ON HOMELESSNESS

The study says about 80,000 Ontarians – more than the city of Sarnia, the population of which is about 73,000 – were homeless in 2024, a figure that has jumped by 25 per cent since 2022.

“We are at a real tipping point without concrete action,” Jones said. “It is only going to get worse.”

The study suggests without significant intervention, homelessness could double in a decade, and more than triple to nearly 300,000 people in an economic downturn, the report said.

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In London, 1,935 people were homeless in September 2024, the city says on its website.

In nearby Oxford County, whose largest centers are Woodstock, Tillsonburg and Ingersoll, 143 people are known to be homeless, Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan said.

Ryan cited substance abuse, mental illness and domestic violence as contributors to homelessness.

“These are issues that municipalities are not really equipped to deal with,” he said.

HOW MANY ENCAMPMENTS DO ONTARIO HAVE?

Karen Redman, chairperson of Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario, said at the news conference there are roughly 1,400 homeless encampments across the province in both small and large communities.

In September 2024, there were 102 encampments in London, the city’s website states.

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In nearby Woodstock, a city of about 47,000 people, there were 44 encampments in September 2024, a city staff report says.

Redman continued: “Municipal staff and our first responders are seeing first-hand how our current responses are not working.”

The email statement from Calandra’s office said the province “has taken decisive action to support municipalities in dealing with homeless encampments across the province,” noting the government of Doug Ford believes those experiencing homelessness should have “access to proper support and stable housing.”

Calandra’s office stated that, last month, the provincial government announced it was investing $75 million to “help connect those living in encampments with needed housing.

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“We have heard loud and clear from the people of Ontario that they want their parks and public spaces back,” the minister’s office said. “Encampments are a public safety concern and not a solution to homelessness.”

WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED COST OF ENDING HOMELESSNESS, ELIMINATING ENCAMPMENTS IN ONTARIO?

Ontario is the only province where the responsibility for social housing falls on municipalities, AMO says.

The study indicates municipal funding for housing and homelessness programs has grown significantly in recent years, totaling more than $2.1 billion in 2024.

Recent provincial investments represent a fraction of what’s required for already over-extended shelter and housing programs, the study says.

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“Mayors have asked us for help in managing this complex issue and that is why, over the next three years, we’re investing a record $3 billion in affordable housing, anti-homelessness and emergency shelter supports,” Calandra’s office said.

The report estimates about $11 billion during 10 years could end chronic homelessness by adding affordable housing, improving transitional and supportive services and enhancing prevention programs, while an additional $2 billion during eight years could largely eliminate encampments.

A BETTER APPROACH TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS?

The study proposes a new approach focusing on long-term housing solutions instead of temporary emergency measures and enforcement.

Ryan shared the sentiment that emergency shelters “should be viewed as just that: providing emergency shelter.

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“We cannot allow our emergency shelter systems to become a housing solution, because it’s not,” he said.

Oxford County recently announced its intention to use $2 million acquired by Woodstock to surpass its housing goal on a new homelessness service center.

“This research outlines what is needed and AMO is ready, willing and able to work with the province to chart a path forward to end homelessness in Ontario,” Jones said.

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@BrianWatLFPress
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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