The Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors are adding their voices to those calling for an annual provincial investment of $435 million to stabilize homelessness and health systems.
They say it would protect the regional economy.
The mayors of North Bay, Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay are calling on the province to act on a new report developed for the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association and Canadian Mental Health Association.
They say it shows rising homelessness has become a direct threat to the region’s workforce, health systems, and long-term economic growth, but that the trend can be reversed through targeted, integrated investment.
“In North Bay, we see firsthand how housing instability and unmet mental health and addictions needs ripple through every part of the community,” says Mayor Peter Chirico, City of North Bay. “This report makes it clear that integrated housing and health investments aren’t just compassionate solutions, they’re practical, cost-effective, and critical paths forward to protecting Northern Ontario’s economic future.”
The report finds without intervention, homelessness in Northern Ontario is projected to more than double by 2035, placing escalating pressure on emergency departments, shelters, corrections, and local labour markets.
It shows Northern Ontario now accounts for nearly 10 per cent of all known homelessness in the province, with the number of people experiencing homelessness in the region rising by 37% from 2024 to 2025.
