The new legislation gives municipalities and police officers broader powers to clear homeless encampments and crack down on public drug use, tools that many Ontario mayors have long called for.
Published Jun 5, 2025 at 10:54am
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
The Ford government’s bill that aimed to give municipalities more power to tackle homelessness encampments is now law.
Bill 6, the Safer Municipalities Act, passed third reading at Queen’s Park Tuesday in a 74-39 vote.
The new legislation gives municipalities and police officers broader powers to clear homeless encampments and crack down on public drug use, tools that many Ontario mayors have long called for.
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