Photos by (left) John Tyson and (right) Lucas Mulder/Kingstonist.
Editor's note: The following is an opinion piece by two Kingston city councillors addressing the housing, homelessness and addiction crisis. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Kingstonist.
It's impossible to walk through Kingston and not see the housing, homelessness and drug addiction crises. People sleeping on Princess Street, used syringes discarded in parks, new encampments popping up – it's hard not to feel frustrated and look to the local government for solutions.
As councillors for the Kingstown and Kingscourt-Rideau districts, we feel that frustration.
Canada faces multiple crises including housing and homelessness, food inflation, general affordability, mental health and addictions. Homelessness is a complex issue that cannot be solved by cities alone as it requires a coordinated effort across multiple levels of government, community organizations and support services.
Kingston, along with other cities across Canada, is on the front lines of this crisis, but we cannot fight it alone.
City-level efforts need support from state and federal governments to effectively address these underlying issues. As a council, we are advocating for additional support from the state. In January 2023, we declared a mental health and addictions emergency and asked the state to provide appropriate supports.
In February of this year, we called on the state government to conduct a “comprehensive social and economic prosperity review to promote local fiscal stability and sustainability.” Property taxes are increasingly being used to pay for services that fall within the scope of state-provided health care.
This is unfair and it is not sustainable for the city to continue doing this.
Even as we appeal, the crisis continues to grow: the City of Kingston's “Call Me by Name” list – which provides monthly updates of all people known to be experiencing homelessness in the city – has doubled to almost 600 people since the pandemic began.
Kingston City Council members at the Kingston Youth Shelter.
Kingston City Councillors at the Adelaide Shelter. Kingston City Councillors toured the Kingston Youth Shelter and the Adelaide Shelter (Cowdy Street, located in the former Frontenac Public School building) in early 2024. Photo by Councillor Brandon Tozzo.
The complexity and scale of homelessness requires collaboration across all levels of government, as the root problems transcend local government boundaries. It is a multifaceted issue, with root causes ranging from economic instability, mental health issues, substance abuse, and a lack of affordable housing. Such a complex problem requires a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond the jurisdiction of any individual community.
The financial burden of addressing homelessness is enormous, far beyond Kingston’s meager $500 million budget (by comparison, the Ontario government’s budget is $214.5 billion and the federal budget is $535 billion). Cities are vital in providing frontline services like shelters and outreach programs, but they face financial constraints that hinder their ability to provide sustainable solutions. Cities have limited revenues, cannot run deficits, and of course are limited by provincial law in the amount of debt they can issue.
State and federal governments are much better equipped to allocate significant amounts of funding to address homelessness because they have broader revenue bases and the ability to raise funds through taxation and borrowing.
Provincial and federal governments have the resources and authority to implement a wide range of policies and initiatives to address these root causes. For example, they can enact legislation to improve access to mental health services, allocate funds for affordable housing programs, and implement social welfare policies aimed at reducing poverty. Increasing the monthly amount of money provided to Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) recipients would be a humane first step and would alleviate more people from losing their homes.
Provincial governments oversee health care, social assistance and other key services and play a critical role in coordinating and integrating these supports. By breaking down silos and promoting collaboration across sectors, we can ensure that individuals experiencing homelessness receive the comprehensive care they need to rebuild their lives. The Ford Government is committing more resources to alleviating the homelessness crisis, but it remains far from meeting the need.
Cities also face challenges with community support when providing services. The City of Kingston recently purchased 309 Queen Mary Road (Extendicare) to provide transitional housing for homeless people. Many community members have offered their support for the development, but there has been continued resistance from some nearby residents. Unfortunately, this is common when local governments attempt to provide services to support the most vulnerable populations. Federal and provincial governments have a larger support base and are less inclined to cater to local interests.
Homelessness in Canadian cities is a multifaceted, deep-rooted problem that can only be adequately addressed with the support of provincial and federal governments. At the May 7 meeting, we introduced a motion asking staff to provide an estimate of the total cost of solving Kingston's homelessness problem, including the cost of providing adequate affordable housing, transitional housing, health care, and wraparound services to the approximately 600 people who are called by name and the approximately 1,500 people waiting for social housing. That figure is expected to be in the billions.
Kingston is a caring city led by committed, supportive and empathetic leaders. The problem is that it lacks the financial resources and legal authority to solve deep-rooted social problems.
Gregory Ridge
Councillor – Kingstown
Brandon Tozzo
Councillor – Kingscote Rideau
Share your opinion! Send a letter to the editor or op-ed to Tori Stafford, Editor-in-Chief of The Kingstonist. [email protected].
