Municipal leaders from across Ontario are seeking guidance from St. Thomas
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Joe Konecny • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Feb 04, 2026 •
A homeless encampment next to Victor Drive in St. Thomas is seen being dismantled in this July 2023 file photo. (Derek Ruttan/Postmedia Network file photo)
A recent study for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) reveals that homelessness in Ontario is worsening, while the City of St. Thomas is making strides in addressing the issue.
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The rate of homelessness across the province rose by eight percent year-over-year in 2025, and without “significant provincial and federal government intervention,” it could potentially double by 2035, according to the report.
“Unlike the (AMO) report, our by-names data confirms that we are ahead of the median curve on occurrences of homelessness,” stated Danielle Neilson, manager of housing stability services in St. Thomas, during a report to city council on Feb. 2.
“In 2025, occurrences of homelessness in St. Thomas-Elgin decreased by 6.5 percent compared to 2024, and we expect this trend towards further reductions to continue throughout 2026.”
“These reductions showcase the benefits and value of collaborative efforts within St. Thomas and Elgin County, utilizing partnerships with local service providers and higher levels of government to create real and lasting solutions for our community.”
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The AMO survey was based on information gathered by the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association alongside Help Seeker Technologies, a Calgary-based data analytics company.
The AMO study indicated that nearly 85,000 Ontarians “were known to be homeless” in 2025-an increase of nearly fifty percent since 2021. The waiting lists for social housing have surged to over 300,000 households.
“The current state of homelessness results from decades of insufficient investment in deeply affordable housing, income support programs, mental health care and addiction treatment services alongside rising economic pressures,” said the AMO report.
“Municipal investments in housing and homelessness have increased collectively to $2 billion and now represent both the largest share and fastest growing portion of funding for housing issues within the province,” it added. “Without urgent action from all levels of government to slow down homelessness rates, it will become more complex and costly to tackle.”
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The study estimates that rural Ontario communities saw an increase in homelessness exceeding thirty percent last year. The Centralized Waitlist for social , affordable , and subsidized housing in St. Thomas hovers around one thousand eight hundred households , more than twice what was reported back in twenty twenty.
Additionally , close to two thousand homeless encampments were documented across the province in twenty twenty-five , compared with about one thousand four hundred recorded in twenty twenty-three , noted the study.
“To eliminate chronic homelessness ,” suggested the AMO study , an additional eleven billion dollars over ten years is necessary “to refocus investments into capital projects , enhance preventive measures , and create more than seventy-five thousand new affordable supportive housing units.”
The study also indicated that another two billion dollars over eight years would be required for proper accommodation for current encampment residents.
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“The information viewed from a provincial standpoint looks grim; turning this situation around will demand considerable resources,” Neilson mentioned during her presentation at council meetings held at St. Thomas.
“It will take coordinated efforts from all three levels of government-not just funding but strategic planning-and recognizing that while homelessness can be solved; it requires expertise,” she added.
The Mayor of St. Thomas Joe Preston shared that he along with Neilson often receive requests from municipal officials throughout Ontario wanting insights into how St. Thomas addresses its homelessness challenges successfully.
St. Thomas maintains a “by-names list” tracking every person who interacts with their network of care providers until they are securely housed again; this initiative is part of a broader coordinated access system aimed at improving support availability throughout Elgin County.
The list currently indicates there are approximately one hundred twenty individuals-either homeless or “couch surfing”-amongst roughly ninety-five thousand residents living within the region encompassing St. Thomas-Elgin area. Collaborative partners managing this list include entities like St. Thomas Police Service , Saint-Thomas Elgin General Hospital , municipal social services department among others such as YWCA Indwell The Inn as well as several mental health addiction support organizations.
Joe Konecny serves as a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter associated with Aylmer Express ; The Local Journalism Initiative receives funding via Government Of Canada.
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