There’s a homelessness and mental health crisis happening on our streets. Ontario’s cities cannot solve it alone.
Tell the Government of Ontario to step up and help our cities solve the humanitarian crisis.
Consider these key points:
- It’s time for the Governments of Ontario and Canada to take immediate action to solve the homelessness and mental health crisis gripping our communities.
- At last count there were over 1400 encampments in Ontario, and that figure is only rising.
- Ontario’s cities have been left to deal with this crisis without adequate resources and support—even though mental health care, addiction treatment and housing are provincial responsibilities.
- Residents and businesses are being impacted, and people need to feel safe in our downtowns and public spaces.
- There are programs that work, but they require all levels of government to step up and work with municipalities and community partners to prioritize these solutions.
Please be sure to share specific details about how the crisis has affected you or the neighbourhoods, public spaces, and businesses where you live.
Thank you for supporting Solve the Crisis, a project of Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM).
Frequently Asked Questions
Solve the Crisis is a project of Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), a group of mayors representing cities in Ontario with populations of 100,000 or larger.
- OBCM provides a voice for big city mayors in policy and program decisions that impact Ontario cities. Through policy development, advocacy, discussion and partnerships, OBCM supports strong and effective cities.
- Mayor Marianne Meed Ward (City of Burlington) is the current Chair and Mayor Josh Morgan (City of London) is the Vice-Chair. Learn more about OBCM
Homelessness, mental health and addiction issues have reached crisis levels on the streets of Ontario’s cities.
- It’s a humanitarian crisis that continues to grow because of inadequate programs and support for those with addictions and mental health issues, and a lack of housing options for people in vulnerable situations.
- We are hearing from our residents across the province that they are concerned about homelessness and encampments within their communities and believe their government needs to do something about it.
- Residents are avoiding public spaces or downtown businesses and have real concerns about safety and security in their communities.
We believe the Government, not municipalities, must solve this crisis.
- Municipalities have been left to manage the crisis of homelessness, mental health, and addiction issues in their communities by themselves—far beyond what they are equipped to handle.
- The problem has been pushed down to the municipal level, even though these issues are part of the Province of Ontario’s mandate, fitting within their responsibilities for Municipal Affairs and Housing, Health (including Mental Health and Addictions), Children, Community and Social Services and a dozen more ministries.
- The federal government has not stepped up as promised
- Municipalities, including their public facilities, businesses, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to carry the burden of the crisis.
- Having to allocate significant resources to the homelessness crisis is impacting municipal budgets and preventing municipalities from fulfilling their core responsibilities.
- Although some funding has been provided, the government’s response so far has not matched the scale of the crisis; constituents are looking to their provincial government to step up and step in.
The provincial and federal government’s must take immediate action to reduce the pressure on municipalities and shift the burden of solving the crisis away from municipalities, their businesses and taxpayers. Our requests are simple:
- Appoint a responsible ministry and Minister with the appropriate funding and powers as a single point of contact to address the full spectrum of housing needs as well as mental health, addictions and wrap around supports.
- This single Minister must strike a task force with sector representatives including municipalities, health care leaders, first responders, community services, the business community, and the tourism industry to develop an Ontario Action Plan.
- Provide municipalities with the tools and resources to transition those in encampments to more appropriate supports, when deemed necessary.
- Commit to funding the services our unhoused population needs, community by community, to fill in gaps in the system.
- Invest in 24/7 community hubs or crisis centres to relieve pressure on emergency departments and first responders.
There is hope. A pathway to recovery—combining mental health and addiction services with supportive housing—has been proven in individual communities across the province, but only the province can scale up these solutions to meet the size of the challenge.
- Read about House of Hope in London, where ER visits by supportive housing residents dropped by 74 per cent over the same period in 2022.
- In Toronto, Homes First has reported on 530 residents who were successfully transitioned to permanent housing in 2023.
- If the province fully commits to these solutions, and works collaboratively and quickly to implement them, communities across Ontario will recover and our cities will thrive again.
You’re in the right place.
- Add your voice to ours so together the Government of Ontario can understand the passion Ontarians have for provincial action to solve this crisis
- Scroll up and fill out the form and write directly to the Premier, your MPP, and key cabinet ministers. Please personalize the letter with your own experiences and thoughts.
- Share this website on Facebook, X (Twitter), and by email with everyone in your networks. Neighbours, community organizations, businesses – we all have a stake in solving this.
Resources
How can we help?
If you would like a copy of a sample motion that can be tabled at your municipal council, or would like to purchase Solve the Crisis t-shirts, please email us at [email protected]
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