Northern communities see fastest-growing homelessness rates in Ontario, new report says

Brendan Carlin, the executive director of Shelter House in Thunder Bay, says he isn’t surprised by the rise in homelessness across northern Ontario — but he is concerned about it.

Nearly 85,000 people were known to be experiencing homelessness province-wide last year — about an eight per cent rise over the previous year — and northern and rural regions are driving that growth.

The numbers come from a report released Tuesday by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA).

Known homelessness in northern Ontario jumped by more than 37 per cent within one year, according to the report.

“Northern communities, which account for approximately five per cent of Ontario’s total population, now account for nearly 10 per cent of all known homelessness,” the report said.

Carlin says the numbers reflect the demands he’s seen locally; the overnight shelter’s overflow beds have been full all winter. 

“The cost of housing, the cost of everything for that matter, is going up all the time — so people are finding themselves on hard times,” Carlin said.

“There may be cases where people are getting evicted or they were staying on their friend’s couch and their friend can no longer afford that apartment.”

Meanwhile, the mental health and addictions crises are also playing a role, he said. Northern Ontario communities are among those facing the highest opioid-related death rates in the province, according to Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner. The Thunder Bay district continues to lead the way, with an opioid toxicity rate more than four times the Ontario average. 

“What we’re seeing [is] people are on waiting lists and then they’re put into housing, and then some people have housing takeovers and they lose their house,” Carlin said.

“But a lot of it is not having the support at wherever that housing is — not having the support for those addiction issues or mental health issues or physical health issues.”

‘A deepening systems failure’

More than 13,000 households in northern Ontario were on waitlists to get into community housing last year — a more than 50 per cent increase since 2021, according to Tuesday’s report.

“One year after we warned that homelessness would continue to grow without sustained, co-ordinated action, the data confirms that northern Ontario is now facing a deepening systems failure — with serious consequences for people, communities and local economies,” said Michelle Boileau, chair of NOSDA and mayor of Timmins, in a news release Tuesday.

The report also reveals Indigenous people account for more than 40 per per cent of homelessness in northern Ontario, “reflecting long-standing systemic barriers and the need for Indigenous-led, culturally appropriate housing and homelessness solutions developed in partnership with Indigenous communities,” says NOSDA’s news release.

“Our government is taking historic action to give municipalities the tools they need, and asked for, to protect community safety while building more affordable homes faster, ensuring those living in encampments have access to safe, secure accommodations and the wraparound supports they need,” Michael Minzak, spokesperson for housing minister Rob Flack, wrote in an emailed statement to CBC News on Tuesday.

He pointed to funding for additional shelter spaces and supportive housing units as well as the province’s Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs.

Locally, the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) received $16.6 million through the province’s Homelessness Prevention Program for 2025-2026, Minzak said. 

Supportive, transitional housing needed

Supportive and transitional housing has been a big focus in Thunder Bay over the past couple years. These units aim to help people transition from staying in encampments or emergency shelters to living independently, Carlin explained.

“The important thing about those spaces will be that they are tailored to what folks need,” he said.

For example, residents may receive support with mental health, addictions and essential life skills, as well as making goals around education or employment.

While Carlin’s wish list at Shelter House includes funding for more varied emergency shelter spaces — including storage space for clients and rooms designated for couples — he said he feels hopeful about work underway to get more supportive and transitional units up and running.

And with northern Ontario facing more acute needs than elsewhere, “we will need more of that investment proportionally,” Carlin said.

“There are lots of folks who are in different situations that need different things, and the more options we can offer them, the better outcomes that we’ll get.”