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Mayors urge Ontario to declare state of emergency to address homelessness, addiction

Published Dec 8, 2025 at 8:25pm

The Canadian Press
By
The Canadian Press
Mayors urge Ontario to declare state of emergency to address homelessness, addiction

Outreach workers Greg Cook and Lorraine Lam distribute cold weather supplies to encampment residents as temperatures plummet in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Chris Young

The mayors of Ontario's 29 largest cities are calling on the province to declare a state of emergency as municipalities deal with what they call a "community safety and humanitarian crisis" created by homelessness, mental health and addiction.

Ontario Big City Mayors urges the province to provide more funding and engage more actively with cities and other stakeholders in a motion passed unanimously on Friday.

The mayors caucus says municipalities covered more than 50 per cent of the $4.1 billion spent on homelessness and housing programs in 2024.

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