The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is raising renewed concern after new provincial data show homelessness is growing fastest—and most severely—in Northern Ontario, outpacing the capacity of local systems and communities to respond.

New figures released today by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) show that more than 85,000 Ontarians experienced homelessness in 2025, an increase of 8 per cent from the previous year and nearly 50 per cent higher than in 2021. Alarmingly, homelessness grew by more than 37 per cent in Northern Ontario in just one year, compared to 7.8 per cent provincially.

Updated analysis from the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) confirms that Northern Ontario — home to just five per cent of Ontario’s population — now accounts for nearly ten per cent of all known homelessness in the province, with the number of people experiencing homelessness rising from 5,930 to 8,142 between 2024 and 2025.

“This data confirms what Northern communities have been living with every day,” said Dave Plourde, President of FONOM. “Homelessness in the north is accelerating faster than our housing supply, health systems, and community supports can keep up with. Municipalities are doing everything they can, but the scale of the crisis now demands decisive leadership and coordinated action from the Province.”

FONOM notes that homelessness in Northern Ontario is increasingly driven by untreated mental illness and addiction, particularly substance use disorders involving methamphetamine and opioids. These realities are placing enormous strain on emergency rooms, police services, shelters, and municipal budgets, especially in small, rural, and remote communities with limited service capacity.

“Temporary enforcement measures alone will not solve this crisis,” Plourde added. “Northern municipalities are asking for legislative tools that prioritize safety, health, and dignity, for individuals in crisis and for the broader community.”

FONOM Reiterates Call for Targeted Legislative Reform

In light of the worsening data, FONOM is once again calling on the Province of Ontario to work with municipal partners to:

  • Amend the Mental Health Act to better reflect modern understandings of addiction as a substance use disorder; and
  • Review the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, in collaboration with the federal government, to allow for temporary, health-focused detention — without charge — of individuals found acutely intoxicated by drugs or other substances, where necessary for their own safety or that of the community.

“This is about compassionate, temporary intervention — not criminalization,” said Plourde. “Frontline police, paramedics, and hospitals are cycling the same individuals through emergency systems with no ability to stabilize them or connect them to care. Northern communities need tools that reflect today’s realities.”

Housing Pressures and Economic Impacts Continue to Mount

NOSDA’s updated report also highlights a sharp rise in housing pressures across Northern Ontario, with community housing waitlists increasing by more than 50 per cent since 2021, and Indigenous people now representing over 40 per cent of those experiencing homelessness in the region.

Beyond the human cost, homelessness is increasingly undermining local economies, making it harder for northern communities to attract workers, retain businesses, and invest in long-term growth.

“Homelessness is no longer just a social issue; it is an economic and community sustainability issue for Northern Ontario,” Plourde said. “Without sustained, housing-led and prevention-focused investment, the cost of inaction will continue to rise for everyone.”

FONOM supports AMO’s call for long-term provincial and federal investment in deeply affordable and supportive housing, mental health and addictions services, and income supports, and stresses that municipal property taxes are not a sustainable funding source for addressing a crisis of this magnitude.

“Northern municipalities are at the breaking point,” Plourde concluded. “We are ready to work with the Province and the federal government on real, practical solutions — but the status quo is no longer acceptable.”

 

About FONOM

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities represents 110 municipal governments across Northern Ontario. FONOM advocates on behalf of its members to advance policies that support economic development, infrastructure investment, and sustainable communities throughout the region.

 

Media Contact

Dave Plourde, President,

Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities
705-335-1615 | [email protected]