Newly elected Municipal Councils : Do Your Homework on Homelessness

By Margaret Eskins Executive Director DARS Dedicated Advocacy Resource Support To every newly elected mayor and councillor across Durham Region: congratulations on earning the trust of your community. Now comes the hard work; and few issues call for more careful attention, courage and cooperation than homelessness and the need for affordable, supportive housing. Before decisions are made about budgets, land, services or development, take time to understand what homelessness looks like in your municipality and across the region. Meet with people who have experienced it. Speak with outreach workers, housing providers, shelters, food programs, health professionals, Indigenous organizations, community groups and local businesses. Visit the services residents rely on. Read the plans and reports already on the table, and ask what is missing. Do not assume that homelessness is limited to one neighbourhood, one kind of person or one visible street corner. People can lose housing because of rising costs, job loss, family violence, illness, disability, addiction or a shortage of suitable homes. Some are sleeping outside or in vehicles. Others are moving between couches, temporary shelters and unsafe situations. Every person’s circumstances are different, and effective responses need to reflect that. Municipal governments may not control every source of housing or homelessness funding, but local leadership still matters. Decisions about land use, planning, municipal property, community services and partnerships can help create more housing options and improve access to support. Mayors and councillors can bring partners together, raise local needs with the Region and provincial and federal governments, and press for the resources required to respond. That work requires more than approving a plan or announcing a target. Ask whether proposed homes are affordable to the people who need them. Find out what supports residents will need to remain housed. Consider options for people with different levels of need, including supportive and transitional housing. Look at whether existing buildings or underused land can serve the community. Track outcomes and listen to people receiving services so that policies can be adjusted when they are not working. There will be difficult conversations. Some residents may worry about safety, neighbourhood impacts or change. Those concerns deserve clear information and honest answers. But fear and stigma cannot be allowed to decide who gets a safe place to live. Good planning, appropriate supports, communication and accountability can address practical concerns while respecting the dignity and rights of people experiencing homelessness. The newly elected leaders of Durham Region have an opportunity to move beyond short-term reactions and work toward lasting solutions. That means learning the facts, working across municipal boundaries and being willing to defend sound housing initiatives when they face opposition. We need bold politicians: leaders who will stand up for vulnerable neighbours, explain why the work matters and keep going when the decisions are unpopular. Homelessness is not someone else’s problem. It is a community challenge, and our response will reflect the kind of community we choose to be. Do your homework, listen closely and lead with courage.