Ontario mayors called on province and Ottawa to tackle homelessness crisis

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall and 28 other mayors from across the province convened at the Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) meeting in Markham on Friday, calling on higher levels of government to tackle the homelessness crisis now.

The OBCM caucus called on the provincial and federal governments to take eight different steps to provide better mental health and addictions resources and to be more involved in the legal enforcement of encampments on city properties.

“What's been worked on hasn’t worked, and it has spread," said Nuttall, who was also elected as vice chair of OBCM. "We need to do more. We need to have the provincial government look at whatever policies that they’ve been using up to date, open them up, and determine where they’re falling short."

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The actions stemmed from the OBCM's 'Solve the Crisis' campaign that was launched in August, which states that there are more than 1,400 encampments in cities across the province.

“First is to take intervener status in court cases that restrict the ability of municipalities to regulate and prohibit encampments. Second, to develop a fully funded and resourced range of compassionate treatment programs,” stated London Mayor Josh Morgan, regarding their first two calls for action from the province.

Other actions outlined in Friday’s meeting involved outlawing the open use of illicit drugs and addressing the need for more affordable housing.

"We're also asking the province to urgently review and consult on updates to the Mental Health Act and the Health Care Consent Act to reflect the current realities of this crisis," added Morgan. "Including through consultation with medical professionals, first responders, and municipalities to include a determination of whether to expand the scope of and strengthen the existing system of mandatory, community-based, and residential mental health and addictions care treatment."

In a statement to CTV News, the province focused on public land, stating, "People are rightfully frustrated with encampments. We shouldn't have individuals squatting on public land. As the premier has indicated, we are exploring all legal tools available to the province to restore public safety by clearing these encampments and moving individuals into safe, stable housing."

Part of the OBCM's passed motion also involved calling for the appointment of a ministry that would be primarily responsible for the implementation of their plan.

"It's up to the province. It’s up to the federal government,” said Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie. "Mayors and councils are united around this issue, and so hopefully we’ll start to see action immediately."