Municipal leaders from across Ontario are seeking guidance from St. Thomas on strategies
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Joe Konecny • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Feb 04, 2026 •
A homeless encampment near Victor Drive in St. Thomas is shown 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 takes proactive steps to address the issue.
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The report notes that 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.
“Unlike the (AMO) report, our by-names data confirms that we are ahead of the median curve on occurrences of homelessness,” stated Danielle Neilson, housing stability services manager for 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 to continue with further reductions throughout 2026.”
“These reductions highlight the benefits and value of collaborative efforts within St. Thomas and Elgin County, leveraging partnerships with local service providers and higher levels of government to bring real and lasting solutions to our community.”
The AMO survey was based on information collected by the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association, along with Help Seeker Technologies, a data analytics firm based in Calgary.
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The AMO study reports that nearly 85,000 Ontarians “were known to be homeless” in 2025, marking an increase of almost 50 percent since 2021. The waiting lists for social housing have swelled to over 300,000 households.
“The current state of homelessness stems from decades of underinvestment in deeply affordable housing, income support programs, mental health services and addiction treatment as well as rising economic pressures,” said the AMO report.
“Municipal investments aimed at tackling housing and homelessness increased collectively to $2 billion and now represent the largest share of funding for these issues in the province,” added the AMO report. “Without urgent action from all levels of government to curb homelessness rates, it will become increasingly complex and costly to manage.”
The study estimates that rural Ontario communities saw a rise in homelessness exceeding thirty percent last year. The Centralized Waitlist for social, affordable and subsidized housing in St. Thomas currently stands at about 1,800 households-more than double what was reported back in 2020.
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Additionally, almost two thousand homeless encampments were identified across the province in twenty twenty-five compared to an estimated one thousand four hundred counted just two years earlier.
“To end chronic homelessness,” suggested the AMO study report calls for an additional $11 billion over ten years to “refocus investments into capital projects; increase prevention efforts; and create more than seventy-five thousand new affordable supportive housing units.”
An extra $2 billion over eight years is also needed for appropriately housing current residents living in encampments according to this research.
“The outlook from a provincial perspective seems grim as both costs and efforts needed for change are substantial,” Neilson remarked during her presentation before St. Thomas council.
“It’s going to take cooperation from all three levels of government-not just through funding but also strategic planning-and recognizing that while homelessness can be solved it requires expertise,” she added.
This has not loaded yet , but your article continues below. Mayor Joe Preston stated he frequently receives inquiries from municipal officials throughout Ontario wanting insights into how St. Thomas addresses its challenges surrounding homelessness. In order to keep track , St. Thomas utilizes what’s called a “by-names list” which logs everyone who interacts with its network of care providers , monitoring them until they’re permanently housed. This system is part of a wider coordinated access model aimed at streamlining assistance and housing options available for those needing help throughout Elgin County. Presently , the list indicates there are around one hundred twenty individuals-either homeless or couch surfing-out of ninety five thousand people residing within St. Thomas-Elgin region. Collaborators managing this by-names list include : St. Thomas Police Service , St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital , city social services department , YWCA , Indwell , The Inn , and Joseph’s Health Care alongside several organizations offering mental health support services relating addictions issues. Joe Konecny serves as Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with Aylmer Express. The Local Journalism Initiative receives funding through Government Canada.
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This has not loaded yet , but your article continues below. Mayor Joe Preston stated he frequently receives inquiries from municipal officials throughout Ontario wanting insights into how St. Thomas addresses its challenges surrounding homelessness. In order to keep track , St. Thomas utilizes what’s called a “by-names list” which logs everyone who interacts with its network of care providers , monitoring them until they’re permanently housed. This system is part of a wider coordinated access model aimed at streamlining assistance and housing options available for those needing help throughout Elgin County. Presently , the list indicates there are around one hundred twenty individuals-either homeless or couch surfing-out of ninety five thousand people residing within St. Thomas-Elgin region. Collaborators managing this by-names list include : St. Thomas Police Service , St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital , city social services department , YWCA , Indwell , The Inn , and Joseph’s Health Care alongside several organizations offering mental health support services relating addictions issues. Joe Konecny serves as Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with Aylmer Express. The Local Journalism Initiative receives funding through Government Canada.
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