Essex County is joining the City of Windsor in restoring funding to homeless programs that was cut by the province.
The county is putting in $80,000 while the city agreed to $500,000 last month to cover the gap.
Poverty activist Tamara Kowalska told County Council Wednesday night that housing is key to addressing mental health and addiction issues and our region needs a concrete plan to deal with homelessness.
Kowalska said providing proper housing will reduce mental health and addiction issues.
"We're talking about people who are constantly experiencing anxiety, pain, fear, loneliness, shame, and voicelessness," Kowalska said.
An emotional Kowalska said the current homeless situation across Windsor-Essex is tragic.
"The opiate crisis is a tragedy, when people die that's a tragedy, but the way in which people are living right now is a tragedy," she added.
Kowalska said being homeless is traumatic and fuels other problems.
"If we can find a way to heal trauma, then we will definitely find a way to treat addiction," said Kowalska.
Studies have shown that a homeless person can cost municipalities as much as $53,000 a year for services.
County Warden Gary McNamara said the downtown campus of Windsor Regional Hospital could become a centre for mental health treatment in the future if the new acute care hospital by the airport goes ahead.
