Lambton County Council has approved a motion to request a meeting with the Ontario minister of municipal affairs and housing to discuss the county's need for affordable housing as the demand and costs increase.
Warwick Township Mayor Todd Case brought the motion forward during Wednesday's council meeting after a 2023 Housing and Homelessness Progress Report was presented.
"What's really frustrating is this is not just a social services issue obviously, it's not just a City of Sarnia issue, it also gets into law enforcement," Case said. "It's a serious issue, one that the costs keep going up, they're not going to go down. I know there's no silver bullet when we talk about an issue like this but we really do need to try to advocate for the funding that we need to make this work."
The 'report card' details where the county stands in regards to four specific goals: to increase and sustain a supply of affordable housing, to increase access to affordable housing and supports, to establish a coordinated housing and homelessness service system, and finally, to end homelessness.
Data from December 31, 2023, showed that 318 individuals experienced homelessness in Lambton County.
Supervisor of Homelessness Prevention Ian Hanney said the number does not only signify those living outdoors but those who are provisionally accommodated in settings such as emergency or transitional housing, or those who may be 'couch-surfing'.
"As our community struggles with both the opioid crisis and the housing crisis, the cohort of individuals experiencing homelessness also grew across 2023. So while these households were prioritized for service, their complex needs often made securing or maintaining housing extremely difficult," Hanney said. "The level of intensive support that could be provided through fixed site supportive housing, in addition to strength-based multi-disciplinary accessible mental health and addiction services will be needed to progress many of those households along the housing continuum."
Hanney said overall in 2023, the rate of those experiencing homelessness continued to outpace the supports to divert them to permanent housing.
He also said 2023 was a challenging year for access to affordable housing.
"Lambton continued to see our waitlist and our wait times for subsidies increase," he said. "As the demand for support grows, more households will continue to age into an experience of chronic homelessness, resulting in further need for more accessible and supportive housing."
Looking ahead to 2024 and 2025, Hanney said staff will continue to enact its supportive and affordable housing strategic plan. The county will also undertake a homelessness media campaign.
"We hope to demystify this newer subject for our constituents, answer some frequently asked questions, better promote the effectiveness and collaborative work that's already underway in our community, to humanize this issue," he said. "Centrally, this campaign is meant to offer our very passionate -- very vocal community members with clear avenues for them to be part of the solution."
City/County Councillor Chrissy McRoberts questioned what can be done now. While there shelter beds available, it's not a good fit for everyone, particularly those with mental health and addiction issues, or those with criminal backgrounds.
"The Ontario government has got to do something to help us because folks are upset now," McRoberts said. "Their properties are being stolen from -- wrecked, communities are being broken, but what does a municipality or a county do when we say we have lots of beds and the folks that need them are going there but there are other people who are a part of this puzzle that we can't handle them."
Hanney said increased mental health and addiction supports are essential in addressing the long-term life stability goals for many who are living unsheltered.
He also said a benefit of the county collecting real-time data for why people don't use shelters, is to show upper levels of government where the situation stands and how much more support is needed.
McRoberts then asked how much money the county is willing to spend on those "who are just out of reach."
Hanney said early intervention is much more cost-effective.
"That's why we've invested in so many preventative services. Coordination with the expensive emergency services … to serve individuals when they reach that point, is the best way we can maximize our limited local resources. Generally speaking, yes, if folks reach the point of chronic homelessness -- of unsheltered homelessness with those complex needs then the cost is going to be borne by municipalities to serve them through emergency services."
City/County Councillor Bill Dennis questioned why taxpayers should front the bill to support others.
"These people have to help themselves, they really do," Dennis said. "Of course, when you say that, people look at you like you're biting the head off of a kitten but it's the truth. I'm not being unsympathetic, it's just the truth."
Dennis also said poverty will never be eliminated because the standard is always changing.
"The people in Rainbow Park are arguably much better off than the poor in Somalia or the poor in Haiti as far as homelessness is concerned," Dennis said.
Affordable housing was named a key priority for Lambton County in 2023. The county later approved $3 million to be added to the affordable housing reserve fund as part of the 2024 budget.