Windsor on par with years-long wait for social housing in the province

The City of Windsor says wait times for social housing align with the provincial average outlined in a new report showing more than 80,000 people experienced homelessness in Ontario in 2024.

The report, released Thursday by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), estimates 81,515 people in the province experienced "known homelessness" last year.

This marks a 25 per cent increase from 2022.

"The incidence of chronic homelessness, characterized by prolonged or repeated episodes, has tripled over the same period and now accounts for more than half of all cases of known homelessness," AMO said in a news release.

The report represents a "first-of-its-kind analysis," drawing on data from 47 service managers across Ontario, including the City of Windsor, according to AMO.

"Known homelessness" primarily includes individuals experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness — those staying in emergency shelters, hotels, or unsheltered locations such as tents or outdoor spaces.

"Too many people are stuck in a cycle because our homeless response system is broken and poorly funded," said AMO president Robin Jones.

In 2024, more than 268,000 households in Ontario were on social housing waitlists, with an average wait time of over five years, AMO said.

According to Andrew Daher, Windsor's commissioner of human and health services, that trend mirrors local experiences.

"The last number that we have is roughly 9,000 people on our waitlist in Windsor and Essex County," said Daher. "We're probably right in line with the five-to-six-year timeframe of a waitlist of people."

One of the report’s more concerning statistics shows 25 per cent of the more-than-80,000 Ontarians experiencing homelessness are younger than 25.

In Windsor, the percentage of homeless youth is about half that figure, though officials say it remains troubling.

"We have about 110 homeless youth. That represents about 12 per cent of the number of households experiencing homelessness," said Daher. "12 per cent is too high in my books. We need to do more."

AMO echoed the call for action, proposing solutions during a media event Thursday.

"We need housing subsidies. We need affordable housing. We need partners in the not-for-profit sector, as well as the for-profit sector, so we can get people into those kinds of housing that are stable," said Karen Redman, regional chair of the Waterloo Region.

In 2024, Ontario’s estimated funding for housing and homelessness programs reached $4.1 billion, AMO said.

Daher praised recent provincial funding announcements, including $50 million to help municipalities with affordable housing, $20 million for province-wide shelters, and $378 million to establish 19 new HART hubs.

HART stands for "Homelessness, Addiction, Recovery and Treatment."

"These are all important initiatives. We need all this funding. There's no doubt, but it's just not enough," said Daher.

AMO estimates that ending chronic homelessness in Ontario would require an additional $11 billion investment over 10 years.

Andrew Dowie, Conservative MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh, said his government has made "the largest investment in affordable housing and anti-homelessness programs in Ontario’s history."

"In April 2023, I was proud to announce for the City of Windsor a 34 per cent permanent increase to funding for the Homelessness Prevention Program, representing $4.2 million additional dollars in new annual funding over and above the previous 2022/23 baseline," said Dowie.

Dowie also noted the provincial government’s commitment to addressing public concerns.

"Encampments are a public safety concern and not a solution to homelessness. We believe that people experiencing homelessness should have access to proper support and stable housing," he said.

Over the next three years, the province is investing $3 billion in affordable housing, anti-homelessness programs, and emergency shelter supports, according to Dowie.

"Just last month, we announced an additional targeted investment of $75 million to help connect those living in encampments with needed housing," he added.

More details on the AMO report can be found at this link.