Ontario is at a tipping point in its homelessness crisis.
This is according to the Association of Ontario Municipalities who released a report this week revealing that more than 80,000 Ontarians were known to be homeless in 2024, which is a 25 per cent increase since 2022.
“Without significant intervention, homelessness in Ontario could double in the next decade, and reach nearly 300,000 people in an economic downturn.” AMO said in a news release Thursday.
“The crisis stems from decades of underinvestment in deeply affordable housing, income support and mental health and addictions treatment, combined with escalating economic pressures on communities.”
The report reveals the unprecedented and growing toll of homelessness on individuals, families, communities, and governments, proposing a focus on long-term housing solutions over “temporary emergency measures and enforcement.”
AMO says they are urging provincial and federal governments to take “significant, long-term action on affordable housing, mental health and addictions services, and income supports to fix homelessness and improve communities’ economic foundations and quality of life.”
***With files from Mary Milne
