Sault Ste. Marie's social services is asking for more action from Canada and Ontario in tackling homelessness.
The board passed a resolution Thursday calling on the provincial and federal governments to identify homelessness as a crisis and acknowledge the lack of resources to "adequately support" addiction and mental health programs.
It also calls for Ontario to extend permanently the Homelessness Prevention fund to at minimum, equal to the Social Services Relief Fund.
"Because the current resources that we have through SSRF Funding through the province of Ontario, it's set to expire for the fiscal year, March 31," said CEO Mike Nadeau.
Statistics from the Northern Policy Institute were cited to show how drastic the situation is in Sault Ste. Marie and northern Ontario.
According to point in time count data in 2021, Sault Ste. Marie's rate of homelessness is at three people per 1,000.
"Toronto had 2.5 people per 1,000, the city of Hamilton had 1.7, the City of Ottawa reported 1.3 people per 1000," Nadeau added.
Social services would also like a homelessness task force set up between upper governments and other social services boards in the north.
