North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg says municipal governments across Ontario, and really the country, are going to continue to struggle with the ongoing issue of homelessness in local communities in the new year.
Kasenberg says 10 years ago, it was unfathomable that municipal governments would be as responsible as they've become for housing and homelessness issues, and going forward, there are a number of questions that need addressing.
"An important question, for example, is do we actually get further ahead by building a shelter or by building temporary shelters, as they have in some communities, for those who are living unsheltered?" Kasenberg pondered.
The issue is no doubt a complex one, as the issues surrounding how people become homeless in the first place are as diverse as the potential solutions to the problem at hand.
"Some of them it's frankly hard luck and financial reverses that have left them without the means to afford to live in an apartment or home. For others, there are complex mental health and addictions issues," Kasenberg pointed out.
Kasenberg believes encampments offer a unique moral and societal challenge.
"I'm quite convinced the solution is not just to uniformly ban encampments on public land. I think there needs to be a certain amount of balance in terms of how we address those," he said.
There are some scenarios where moving encampments from certain public land is necessary, but Kasenberg again says outright banning them isn't the right thing.
"But at the same time, it's not illegal to be homeless. So, we have to sort of manage within the constraints of a legal system in Canada that affords and has determined that it's appropriate and reasonable to allow individuals who are homeless to live on public land," he added.
No matter what, Kasenberg says municipalities need more support from upper levels of government to address homelessness and housing issues.
"Here we are now, with a government, provincially, that generally has a responsibility for at least parts of the housing spectrum, that is now saying 'Municipalities need to be on the bus and in some cases you need to drive the bus' which presents unique challenges to councils," shared Kasenberg. "Our governments at the municipal level have had to change their philosophy, and have had to look at how they can be involved without breaking the bank and the back of the local taxpayers in the process."