The Association of Municipalities of Ontario says homelessness has reached a tipping point.
It identifies more than 80-thousand as being homeless in 2024.
Nearly 25% were under the age of 24.
In northern Ontario, there were 5,377 people identified as homeless.
That is a 204% increase since 2016.
Chair of the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association, Michelle Boileau, says the numbers are not surprising.
“In fact, they confirm what municipalities, what service providers have been saying for years that the numbers are rising, that the issue is worsening,” says Boileau.
AMO’s report predicts that by 2035, between 10,674 and 26,663 could face homelessness depending on the economic conditions.
President Robin Jones says it calls for immediate action.
“We are at a real tipping point. Without concrete action, it is only going to get worse,” says Jones.
“More than half of homeless Ontarians are chronically homeless. Too many people are stuck in A cycle because our homeless response system is broken and poorly funded.”
Jones notes municipalities are shouldering much of the financial burden on housing and homelessness initiatives, doubling to more than $2 billion in the last four years.
She says investments from senior levels of government deliver only a fraction of what is needed.
“We need other orders of government to recognize the scale and the urgency of this crisis. They must make this issue a real priority by working with communities to actually solve the crisis. Or, put another way, this is a mandate for all of us,” says Jones.
AMO estimates it would take $11 billion over the next ten years to an end to chronic homelessness, with 20% invested directly in the north.
The full report can be found by clicking here.
