Mayoral candidate Susan Stevenson took aim at London’s response to the homelessness and addiction crisis at a campaign announcement on Monday, but incumbent candidate Josh Morgan was quick to fire back. “I want London to lead Ontario in building a recovery-oriented system of care,” she said during her latest campaign platform announcement. “People choosing recovery, people coming out of ten-day detox, or rehab programs, deserve (before and after) shelters that are abstinent and some access to housing where abstinence is there,” Stevenson said afterwards. She suggested that an insufficient number of spaces for sober living in local shelters and the supportive housing system jeopardizes efforts by some homeless Londoners to stay off drugs. If elected, Stevenson pledged: “These policies chosen by this mayor and approved by this Council have failed us,” she asserted. “And it’s time for something new.” Incumbent candidate Josh Morgan shot back, asserting that no municipally-funded programs are required to provide harm reduction services. He added that the city, and the Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) have already been lobbying the provincial government to fund new addiction treatment centres. “The current system is not complete, it’s got a huge gap in it. It needs more treatment and recovery spaces,” Morgan tells CTV News. “That’s why there’s a standing position of Council saying we support building a treatment and recovery facility right here, funded by the province of Ontario.” Morgan rejects Stevenson’s suggestion that London’s response to homelessness and addiction are not in alignment with the provincial government. “We’re not out of alignment with the province. We are a partner with the province working to try to solve a very complex issue,” he explained. “That partnership requires focus, collaboration, and ongoing dialog-- not pointing fingers at each other.” Stevenson suggested the prevalence of harm reduction at local frontline agencies proves otherwise, “ (Ontario) abandoned the failed harm reduction model and said we are going to the Alberta recovery model. It happened in April of 2024.” “(The province is) our biggest funding partner when it comes to treatment, health, and housing,” she added. “To align with them makes sense, especially when we are worse off than we were four years ago.” Also on Monday, mayoral candidate Kirsten Krose released her 10-year Homelessness and Housing Strategy in an emailed news release. “We need to prevent people from becoming homeless, correct the systems that are not working together, and create the housing and supportive spaces our community actually needs,” Krose writes. Her strategy includes three pillars: “The Prevent. Correct. Create. framework would guide a 10-year strategy with annual targets, defined responsibilities, measurable outcomes and transparent public reporting,” the statement by Krose concludes.
