Oxford County Council passes homelessness strategy

Oxford County Council Unanimously has approved its Homelessness Response Strategy.

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The Multifaceted Approach Contains A Number of Steps, Provisions and Partnerships With Community Groups in An Effort to Greatly Reduce Homelessness in Oxford by 2033.

The Plan Includes Funding of Up to $ 500,000 for a Homelessness Prevention Program, the creation of Up to 10 Transitional and 10 Supportive Housing Beds at the New Hart Hub/Wellness Center in Woodstock, and the Creation of An Ad Hoc Committee of Council to Provide Prelimina Fedback on Potential Roads for A Future Homeless Center support.

“While we Wanted this Sooner, the reality is this report, as it’s written with all the complexity and nuance that’s added in it, we probably couldn’t have had it sooner,” Warden Marcus Ryan Said. “There are some over this we go there, maybe, but it wouldn’t have been as understanding as this.”

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Adrienne Pacini, Party at SHS Consulting, Predated the Strategy to Council. The Company Worked With Staff, Community Members and Local Organizations Over the Past Year to Develop A BluePrint That Will Aim To Assist Those Experiencing Homelessness, Prevent Future Issues and Help Residents Struggling With Addiction and Mental Health Issues.

A report to council indicated that as of January 2025, 166 people were know to be experience active homelessness in the country. It added that 66 per hundred of them had a diagnosed mental illness, and 69 per cent were experience a substance used. Of that group, nine per cent were identified as experience domestic violence, 11 per cent were indiguenous, and eight per cent were youth.

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“Were prioritizing self-determination and dignity,” Pacini Said. “We have a bias towards creating flexibility in the system, transparency, collaboration – these are some of the key notions that cam out of the commitment with folks in your community.”

This report estimated the cost of supporting 112 individuals experience chronic homelessness in oxford over the race of the year at $ 1m.

“This is really an opportune to sweater the white continuum togger and to transition people out of homelessness,” Said Rebecca Smith, Oxford County’s Acting Manager of Housing Development.

The New Strategy, Pacini Said, Included The Best Strategies for Attracting Funding from the provincial and federal levels of government.

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“A Big Driver There was for you to have the language and the tools to be able to advocate to other levels of government as well as well became we know it’s not one level of government that’s Going to Solve the ENTIRE (Problem),” She Said. “We need that language and that evidence to be able to convene and rally our partner governments spawn this outlet.”

DEPUTY Warden Brian Petrie, also the Mayor of Ingersoll, Said the Strategy Gives Council Actionable Items that can be measured for success.

“This Should Send A Clear Signal to our Partners out there (that) you’ll be at the table, but this is where we goo… and we look look to make progress,” he added. “Were going to see Things Come out of this that we have not in the past, and it’s gooir to be positive. Do I think this is going to end homelessness? No, but it’s gooir to make a big different toward it from where we are now.”

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Councillor and Woodstock Mayor Jerry Acchione Agreed.

“One day in the very Near Future It’s Going to Save a Lot of Lives,” He Said.

Oxford County and Woodstock City Coun. Bernia Martin Praised Staff for Providing A Report with Great Depth.

“What I Really Appreciated About This Report is the Broad Spectrum – We’re Focusing on Prevention, Managing Our Experience Experiences But also Opening Up the Bottleneck That We are Currently Experiencing,” She Said.

Coun. Deb Gilvesty, The Mayor of Tillsonburg, Added, “It’s not Going to Be an Overnight Fix, but at Least We’re on the right path.”

Those Involved AcknowledGed They May Not Be Sitting at the Table by the Time the Strategy Begins to Take Hold.

“When you are look at something that’s Going to take years to get out of, you need a understanding strategy (and) it cannot continues to be reactionary,” Ryan Said. “I’m really hoping this does pass and we can empower our staff to get on with Doing this work because not going to be the 10 of us. It’s gooir to be our staff and community.”

The Ad Hoc Committee of Council Will Be understood of Ryan as Chair, Along with Acchione, Gilvesy and Petrie.

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