A local delegation is in Toronto this week, advocating for additional provincial funding to address the homelessness crisis in Chatham-Kent.
Ward 5 Councillor Carmen McGregor, along with municipal staff and five other CK councillors, is currently attending the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference to meet directly with provincial ministers on issues of local importance.
McGregor said the most significant issue facing the municipality is the growing number of residents facing homelessness in the community. She said additional support from upper levels of government is sorely needed.
“We don’t have enough money to be able to do what needs to be done to help these people and to get people off the streets,” said McGregor. “We need funding and we need a change from the way we are being funded by the province. We can’t handle any more downloads, there’s just not enough money to go around.”
McGregor added that the crisis is not exclusive to Chatham-Kent and the local delegation is lending its voice to the choir of other municipal representatives from across Ontario who are calling for the Ontario government to do more.
“We have a big issue in Chatham-Kent but it’s not just Chatham-Kent, it’s right across the country and throughout Ontario where homelessness has doubled or tripled.”
According to the municipality, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Chatham-Kent has jumped 171 per cent in the last five years.
The three-day ROMA conference began on Sunday and will wrap up today.
