North Bay calls for help to deal with homeless encampment crisis

North Bay city council is set to vote Tuesday on a motion calling on the provincial and federal governments to provide leadership and help in addressing homeless encampments.

Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield said Monday that cities need a plan from federal and provincial leaders to deal with the root causes of homelessness.

“We have been dealing with a lot of those Band-Aid solutions and downstream,” Horsfield said.

“We need to start thinking more upstream and stopping those situations from happening.”

A case in point is a new encampment at the intersection of Third and Wyld streets that has more than a dozen tents.

Horsfield is bringing a motion, seconded by Coun. Mark King, to council Tuesday night that cites a new policy document from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), which outlines the crisis and actions that need to be taken.

North Bay Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield said Monday that cities need a plan from federal and provincial leaders to deal with the root causes of homelessness. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

The AMO policy paper is called Homeless Encampments in Ontario: A Municipal Perspective.

“Municipalities have an important role to play contributing to solutions to homelessness and supporting those in encampments,” the policy paper said.

“But the scope of action and investment required to adequately address encampments far outstrips municipal fiscal capacity and jurisdiction.”

Recommendations for the province to address include growing income insecurity and the fact the provincial government has created an inadequate approach to mental health and addiction treatment.

Horsfield and King are members of AMO and both serve on the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board. King serves as the board chairman.

“There needs to be a plan,” Horsfield said.

“So having a dedicated minister there to address this will help bring together more of a strategy.”

Horsfield said root causes related to homelessness that Ontario’s cities need to get a grip on include mental health, addictions and a shortage of housing.

o    Download our app to get local alerts on your device

o    Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

“There’s also basic level income, ODSP, and Ontario Works rates that are quite low,” Horsfield said.

Advocates for ending homelessness say food insecurity and a lack of affordable housing are the two main issues.

“People have nowhere to live. We need to deal with the housing issues,” advocate Greg Gray said.

“We can’t just keep building $750,000 to million-dollar homes.”

If passed, the city will draft a resolution that will be shared with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli and Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota, among other dignitaries and associations.

“To help individuals not enter into homeless situations, we do need that upstream support,” Horsfield added.