Municipal Leaders Support ‘Solve the Crisis’ Campaign to Address Homelessness and Mental Health
During their joint meeting at the start of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 125th Conference this week, the three caucuses are stating their collective support around the need for the Ontario and Federal Governments to take immediate and targeted action to help solve the crisis around homelessness and mental health.
There is a homelessness and mental health crisis happening on streets across our communities, small and big, rural and urban. Municipalities continue to step up, but do not have the tools, expertise or capacity to fully address the intersectional and complex issues around housing, homelessness, health care, and social services.
We appreciate the actions that both the Federal and Ontario Governments have taken to-date including Ontario’s Roadmap to Wellness, the creation of the Homelessness Prevention Program, and investing in youth wellness hubs. But we need to do more to ‘Solve the Crisis’ together as government partners, and we need to act swiftly.
As municipalities continue to raise, the rising number of homeless encampments and the human toll of the opioid crisis are a symptom of deeper system failures that hurt Ontario’s overall social and economic prosperity. The WOWC, EOMC, and EOWC will be sending a letter to Premier Ford to further underscore the need for a Social and Economic Prosperity Review. We need a municipal fiscal relationship that supports the foundations of a strong economy, sustainable communities and quality of life that reflects modern day and front-line realities. Organizations and Ontarians can join the call to support the ‘Solve the Crisis’ campaign by visiting www.solvethecrisis.ca.
Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County advocate for seamless health care to support most vulnerable
Kawartha Lakes Mayor Doug Elmslie, Councillors Tracy Richardson and Pat Warren and CAO Ron Taylor are attending the AMO Conference to advocate for local priorities. During the conference, a joint delegation with the County of Haliburton took place August 20 with the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, the Hon. Michael Tibollo. The delegation was attended by Mayor Elmslie, CAO Ron Taylor, Liz Danielson, Warden, County of Haliburton and CAO Gary Dyke. It focused on a new integrated funding approach that allows municipalities to be designated Health Service Providers and given the opportunity to enter into service accountability agreements to directly access critical mental health and addiction funding.
“By integrating these services, we would create a truly multidisciplinary team dedicated to supporting our most vulnerable community members. This ensures the right level of care is provided at the right time, by the right provider, and at the right cost. We've already seen success through the Community Paramedicine program and the recent Community Outreach Service. This new approach promises better health, better care, and better value for our citizens," commented Mayor Elmslie.
A second delegation with the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Honourable Sylvia Jones, was attended by Mayor Elmslie and CAO Taylor. The discussion focused on further provincial support for primary health care and local health services.
