WHEREAS AMO has released an unprecedented, data-driven analysis of the state of homelessness in Ontario;
AND WHEREAS the data quantifies the number of people experiencing homelessness at 81,500, an increase of 51% since 2016, and forecasts that this number could more than triple by 2035 without immediate action;
AND WHEREAS the growth of populations experiencing homelessness is most pronounced in marginalized populations and children, and in Northern, rural and rural-urban mixed locations, like Collingwood/South Georgian Bay;
AND WHEREAS the report identifies systemic failures that extend beyond just sufficient affordable housing, including deep gaps in the healthcare, mental health care, social welfare, education and justice systems;
AND WHEREAS these systemic gaps in homelessness prevention and supports are a direct reflection of inadequate or misdirected funding;
AND WHEREAS Ontario is the only province where responsibility for social housing has been downloaded to municipalities;
AND WHEREAS municipal funding for housing and homelessness programs has grown by 108% since 2016 to account for 51.5% of total reported funding across all three orders of government;
AND WHEREAS Provincial funding for housing programs saw a modest increase during this period, while federal contributions remained smaller in scale, both reflecting a declining share of expenditures relative to municipal investments;
AND WHEREAS the report acknowledges that encampments are an urgent pressure across Ontario and outlines how targeted investments could prevent and resolve encampments over an 8-year period;
AND WHEREAS the report further outlines how targeted investments and actions can be taken now and over the next 10 years to reverse the homelessness trajectory, offering sustainable solutions and a vision for a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring;
AND WHEREAS the benefits of decisive action will yield stronger and safer communities, improved quality of life, enhanced local economies and reduced costs;
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Town of Collingwood endorse the Ending Chronic Homelessness in Ontario Report, its findings and recommendations, and calls upon the provincial and federal governments to commit to increased funding for the full spectrum of homelessness reduction and prevention strategies as outlined in the report conclusions and recommendations;
AND THAT copies of this resolution be forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, the Minister of Municipal A\airs and Housing, MPP Brian Saunderson, Simcoe County, The Alliance to End Homelessness, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Council took a 10 minute recess.