Should the Municipality of Chatham-Kent bypass the Ontario Government to get funding from the federal government to help address homeless encampments?
One CK councillor believes the answer should be yes.
Brock McGregor has brought forward a motion for council to send a letter to Sean Fraser, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, to see if they could receive part of the $250 million being allocated to communities dealing with encampments. It will be discussed at council's next meeting.
The federal government had reached agreements with most provinces and territories to receive part of the funding and to match the amount being given. The only ones not to agree were Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
“It’s unfortunate that politics can sometimes get in the way,” said McGregor.
The federal government still plans to support communities in the three provinces by working directly with them. Right now, the focus is on providing funding to Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Saskatoon, however, other areas aren’t being excluded.
“I think there’s an opportunity for smaller communities like Chatham-Kent (to get funding),” added McGregor.
To him, homelessness has become a crisis in CK, and council needs to consider every option available. This includes bypassing the province and seeking help from the federal government.
McGregor explained homelessness has become an all-hands-on deck situation.
“If (the Ontario Government) is interested in supporting municipalities and addressing homelessness, they should sign on with the federal government to make sure that money can flow through the province,” he added.
McGregor also noted any additional plans or projects announced by the province would be automatically considered by CK’s council.