Municipal officials are looking for solutions as the number of people experiencing homelessness in Chatham-Kent continues to rise.
Tonight, members of council will hear how expanding the Pathway2Care outreach program could provide additional support to those living without stable housing.
The plan responds to a July 28 motion from Councillor Marjorie Crew, which requested a coordinated approach to supporting individuals staying in encampments. The motion called for collaboration between primary care, mental health and addictions services, and housing supports.
Pathway2Care is a mobile outreach team that assists unhoused residents aged 16 and older. According to the report heading to council Monday night, the team is a partnership between Chatham-Kent Housing Services, Chatham-Kent EMS, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), the Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team (CKOHT), and Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K.).
The report, prepared by Community Safety and Well-Being Coordinator for Chatham-Kent Erin DeMars, notes that the program currently costs $204,449.75 annually to operate. However, existing partners are delivering the service in-kind, covering staff wages, fuel, medical equipment, and consumable items such as medical and hygiene supplies.
In its first year of operation (October 2024 to October 2025), the P2C team:
- Delivered 110 outreach clinics
- Completed 474 assessments
- Identified 102 clients without attachment to primary care
- Facilitated 82 referrals
- Conducted 90 wound care visits
- Helped divert 32 emergency department visits through timely, community-based support
- Assisted 9 individuals in securing housing
The municipality’s By-Name List, a real-time record of every person experiencing homelessness, identified 259 individuals without stable housing in September. The proposed P2C expansion aims to help meet this growing need.
DeMars outlines an expanded team that would include a full-time community paramedic, a mental health first responder, a housing stability worker, and a peer support worker. Startup costs for the expanded model are projected at $455,589.40, with an annual operating cost of $437,968.40.