Find solutions for homelessness requires more than a catchy slogan

By Margaret Eskins Executive Director DARS Dedicated Advocacy Resource Support If you are concerned about homelessness, it is important to understand what each candidate in your town or city is proposing. Local elections shape decisions that affect people experiencing homelessness, even when your municipality is not the main funder of housing and homelessness services. In Durham Region, municipalities such as Pickering, Ajax and Whitby may not hold primary responsibility for funding these services. That does not make local elected officials powerless. They make decisions about land use, planning and development. These important choices can affect whether supportive housing, affordable homes and emergency services can be built, and where. Council can also decide how municipal land and facilities are used. They can identify local barriers, and bring community partners together to work on solutions. Local representatives also have a voice beyond city or town boundaries. They can raise urgent needs with the Region and provincial and federal governments, advocate for funding, and press for coordinated action. Their public comments matter, too. When elected officials speak about homelessness with care and accuracy, they can help build understanding. When they rely on stereotypes or treat people’s needs as someone else’s problem, it can deepen stigma and make effective responses harder. That is why campaign platforms deserve a close look. Do candidates recognize homelessness as a local concern? Do they support practical steps such as increasing the supply of affordable and supportive housing, making municipal land available for suitable projects. Are the committed to improving coordination with regional services, and consulting people with lived experience? Do they explain how they will work with other levels of government and community organizations? A platform should offer more than a slogan: it should show what a candidate intends to do, who they will work with and how they will measure progress. Learning about candidates’ positions helps voters ask informed questions and hold elected officials accountable after the election. It also helps communities identify who is prepared to work across political boundaries and levels of government and who will stick their neck out when it really matters. Homelessness is experienced locally. It affects our neighbourhoods, public spaces and service agencies. Even when funding decisions sit elsewhere, local leadership can influence whether communities make room for solutions. If we want a meaningful response, we need to know where our candidates stand before we cast our ballots. Be informed before you VOTE