Renfrew Town Council has put its weight behind a document that’s hoping to grab the attention of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Council approved a letter of support towards a resolution from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo calling on both the federal and provincial governments to “commit to immediate action to solve the humanitarian crisis that Ontario is facing as the numbers of unhoused individuals and those suffering with mental health & addictions grows exponentially.”
The resolution explains that the homelessness, mental health, and addictions crisis continues to grow in Ontario, as the number of drug-related deaths in Ontario rose to 3,432 in 2023, the same time period where an estimated 234,000 people in the province faced homelessness and over 1,400 homeless encampments could be found across its communities.
While Ontario has provided additional funding to help solve the issues, the letter argues that the province is not adequately addressing the financial and social impact the crisis has put on municipalities, who “lack the expertise, capacity, or resources to address these increasingly complex health care and housing issues alone.”
The letter goes on to demand immediate action from the provincial and federal governments, such as the province officially making homelessness a health priority and appointing a ministry with the proper funding and powers to “address the full spectrum of housing needs as well as mental health, addictions, and wraparound supports.”
(written by Kasey Egan)