Chatham-Kent’s mayor is joining his colleagues from across the province in pressing the Ontario government to do more to address homelessness, mental health issues, and addictions.
Darrin Canniff is a member of Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM,) which is calling on the province to declare a state of emergency and put more funding towards those most vulnerable.
The Mayors’ organization says that although the province has been funding HART Hubs and the Homelessness Prevention Program over the last few years, it’s not nearly enough to address this growing crisis.
Municipalities covered 51.5% of the $4.1 billion spent on housing and homelessness programs in Ontario in 2024, supporting various services, including homelessness prevention, emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing, and affordable housing. However, the Ontario Big City Mayors say they cannot sustain this rate of funding for many services that should fall under provincial responsibility.
“We thank the province for the steps they have taken to address this crisis,” said OBCM Chair Marianne Meed Ward in a news release. “However, the needs across our communities continue to grow. We continue to call on the province to take action and work with municipalities so together we can provide the programs, services and spaces our most vulnerable residents need.”
The OBCM is also asking the public to visit SolvetheCrisis.ca to share stories and write to the Premier, Ministers and local MPPs and call for immediate action.
