'Time for action is now:' Homeless encampment motion passes

North Bay City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on provincial and federal leadership to address the homelessness encampment crisis in Ontario communities.

The local motion was tabled by Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield, seconded by Councillor Mark King, and received the full support of the council during Tuesday's regular meeting. Coun. Chris Mayne was absent.

See related: Homeless encampment motion 'urgently' calls for gov't action

Ahead of the vote, King said, "I think we're all playing from the same song sheet. We all understand what's going on provincially, I think we understand what's going on federally ... many are struggling with this issue that really has become a crisis. There's no question something has to be done. Exactly what that is has yet to be discovered."

See: King says homeless encampment at a public beach will not happen

The motion originated with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and advocates for action from the upper levels of government.

"With the release of the unofficial estimate of the homeless population at 234,000 across Ontario — which represents nearly three in every 200 residents — it's time for a province-wide strategy and plan to address the reality of homelessness and encampments in the province," Horsfield told BayToday following the vote.

See also: Ontario’s ‘unofficial estimate’ of homeless population is 234,000: documents

"Last week," Horsfied continued, "the big city mayors called on the provincial government to establish a ministry specifically to oversee the homeless and addictions portfolio. This is a much-needed and important step in the right direction. 

"Next week, the AMO conference is in Ottawa and this message will be communicated once again to provincial ministries. The time for action is now. "

See related: Will public consultation quiet 'homeless hub' hubbub?

The motion cites a recently released AMO policy paper entitled Homeless Encampments in Ontario: A Municipal Perspective which details the state of this crisis and the evidence-based actions that must be taken. "Municipal governments must implement solutions that are effective, appropriate, feasible, practical, and in compliance with Ontario and Canadian law including but not limited to human rights legislation."

See the full report: Homeless Encampments in Ontario: A Municipal Perspective

Among the paper's notable points: 

"While provincial and federal action is urgently required, municipal governments are responding to immediate needs in their community that cannot be delayed by insufficient support from other orders of government.

"An evolving legal landscape and the proliferation of guidance from different sources about how municipalities should respond to homeless encampments can create challenges for municipalities and service partners trying to assess options.

"Individuals do not have a right to camp anywhere they choose on public lands, at any time. Nor do those who decline appropriate alternative shelter options have a right to continue to reside in encampments."

Coun. Justine Mallah supported the points made by her colleagues. "Homeless encampments are a symptom of homelessness, she said, "which is not just a local issue but one that affects municipalities across Canada. I appreciated AMO's report, which speaks to the complexity of the issue of homeless encampments. As municipalities, we now have the difficult job of balancing the needs of people living in encampments — who deserve to be treated with empathy and respect — with the responsibility to ensure communities are safe and vibrant places for all residents."

Coun. Mac Bain added, "I'm a firm believer that we need to be opening up the Mental Health Act to include the word "addictions" so that we can treat those individuals," a sentiment shared by Coun. Lana Mitchell. Bain continued, "Presently, there's nothing in the medical field or the Mental Health Act that allows us to work with those and help treat those with the addiction issues ... find a mechanism to treat it."

The resolution will be copied and shared with Prime Minister Trudeau, Premier Ford, MP Anthony Rota, MP Sean Fraser, MPP Victor Fedeli, MPP Calandra, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Rural Ontario Municipal Association, and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities.