Homelessness and addictions dominated municipal election, got little attention in budget

THUNDER BAY — Worsening crises of homelessness and housing, addictions, and mental health dominated Thunder Bay’s recent municipal election, but while rhetoric on those issues has grown at city hall, spending on them remains a footnote in the city budget.

It’s an approach the city’s community safety and well-being plan, approved in 2021, encourages it to move away from. Mercedes Labelle, a senior policy analyst with the Northern Policy Institute, said the province is broadly responsible for housing and homelessness, but municipalities play a key supporting role and can help drive solutions.

Many places in Northern Ontario have higher per capita homelessness rates than large cities in Southern Ontario, for example, or overdose rates several times the provincial average. The report also calls to expand “mobile crisis intervention teams” that incorporate social and mental health workers into frontline emergency response.

However, the city also cut its funding of the Shelter House by $100,000 this year due to cancellation of the SOS program, and pulled back on funds it provided for an emergency warming centre and the care bus during the pandemic, meaning overall spending on homelessness and addictions issues will go up only slightly.

The city endorsed a bold set of harm reduction policies last year, including decriminalizing simple drug possession and safe supply programs. While he agrees the city has a role to play, he believes change ultimately needs to come from Queen’s Park.

important story to bring to light

judge morality based on actions not on words

To many silver spoons on our councils l

Council simply approves whatever admin suggests. We don't vote for admin, but maybe we should... They're the ones actually running the city (un to the ground)

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