The Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus is teaming up with its counterparts to ask the province for more focus on dealing with homelessness and mental health in smaller communities.
During the 125th meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) this week, representatives from the WOWC, the Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus, and the Eastern Ontario Mayor’s Caucus are united in a call to action around the “Solve the Crisis” Campaign, which is being led by the Ontario Big City Mayors.
Executive director of the WOWC, Kate Burns Gallagher, says that their approach has four parts: housing, infrastructure, workforce, and mental health, addictions & homelessness.
She says that they’re looking at two key things to be provided to municipalities that weren’t included in Bill 185, the Cutting Red Tape To Build More Homes Act, that should be re-included: housing costs and land costs.
Burns Gallagher says that if municipalities received funding that was part of those two charges, then it would provide $4 billion over 10 years.
“If we could get that $4 billion by including those DCs, that’s huge cost savings for our property taxpayers,” says Burns Gallagher. “The second piece is making sure our small and rural communities are at the table when it comes to housing discussions at the provincial level. We are huge players when it comes to creating housing in our communities, so we want to make sure we’re at the table for those discussions as well.”
The WOWC says that although municipalities are continuing to step up to address the issues, they tend to lack the tools expertise, or capacity to fully address issues surrounding housing, homelessness, health care, and social services, which the organization says are intersectional and complex issues.
Burns Gallagher says that while there is emphasis on addressing such concerns in larger cities, smaller municipalities require assistance too.
While at this year’s AMO conference, WOWC and other similar organizations are hoping to get some time to discuss these universal issues with members of provincial parliament, and are also calling on a dedicated portfolio with a provincial minister involved on solving these ongoing crises.