Mayors, police and businesses urge Ontario to step up help on homelessness, opioid crises

Mayors, police leaders and businesses inOntarioare calling on the province to provide more help in dealing with the growing homelessness and opioid crises gripping both big cities and smalltowns.

Ontario's Big City Mayors, a group that includes 29 mayors ofcities with a population of 100,000 or more, requested an emergencymeeting with the province and Premier Doug Ford two months ago to address homelessness, the opioidcrisis and mental health, said CamGuthrie, the organization's chair.

So far, the province has not responded to that request, saidGuthrie, who is also the mayor of Guelph, Ont. He noted the group'scaucus is "quite disappointed" to be kept waiting on such an important issue.

The mayors' caucus met with Michael Tibollo, the associate minister of mental health, at the Association of Municipalities ofOntarioannual conference this week, but Guthrie said a meeting with multiple ministries is needed to address such a complex problem.

"Every day that we aren't getting together with otherstakeholders to try to come to some solutions is yet another day that the struggle continues and the crisis gets worse, he said.

Municipalities facing increasing homeless population

Municipalities across the province are dealing with an increasing homeless population, spurred by the devastating effects of theCOVID-19 pandemic and a growing distaste and distrust of largeshelters with congregate settings.

As a result, encampments large and small have popped in many communities, where they have become a lightning rod. Many have beencleared with force by police, only to see smaller ones pop up elsewhere.

Guthrie said cities are not set up to deal with the health-care needs of those living on the streets and others living with addictions, noting health care is under provincial jurisdiction.

A spokeswoman for Steve Clark, the minister of municipal affairs and housing, said the province is "ensuring all Ontarians have asafe, stable, and affordable place to call home, especially our most vulnerable."

TheOntariogovernment is investing nearly $25 million in new annual funding in a program that helps people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness find housing, services and supports, VictoriaPodbielski said.

She added that brings the province's total annual investment in homelessness prevention programs to almost half a billion dollars.

'Wecould save people a lot of pain'

Other organizations are backing the Big City Mayors' call for ameeting with the province on the twin crises.

Among them are the Association of Municipalities ofOntario, theOntarioChiefs of Police and theOntarioChamber of Commerce.

"They need to be involved and coming up with the best solutions and why we can do it effectively and efficiently because right nowwe're spending a lot of money, but we're not getting the results," said Colin Best, AMO's new president and a councillor with the Region of Halton.

Joe Couto, spokesman for theOntarioChiefs of Police, said community policing involves "tackling the root causes of poverty,homelessness, and addicts of any sort that cause people to come into contact with the justice system."

"In our view, if we can address these issues at their source, wecould save people a lot of pain and involvement with the justicesystem," he said.

TheOntarioChamber of Commerce said it endorses the call for provincial partnership "to accelerate health and economic-focused solutions to this crisis in the shortand long-term."

"The opioid crisis continues to have significant socioeconomic impacts onOntario's businesses and communities, in particular innorthern areas, the construction industry, and on racialized and other marginalized groups," said Sara Fegelman, a senior policy analyst with the organization.