Sudbury city councillors support transitional housing plan

Sudbury city councillors are united in their support for a new transitional housing program in the city. During a finance committee meeting Thursday evening, councillors unanimously supported a $2.2 million a year plan to house and support people experiencing homelessness with mental health and addictions, to be added to the city's 2021 budget.

The funding is for operations for a community treatment team lead by Health Sciences North, at a proposed multi unit residential building for 40 to 60 people.

"This is the step that I believe this council can take to leave something that will have impact beyond our years for so many in our community," said Fern Cormier, one of three councillors who presented the business case to council.

"If it helps you know 40 people per year that can get through that system that can get stabilized that can get back on their feet, that's priceless at the end of the day, on so many levels."

Cormier, along with councillors Deb McIntosh and Joscelyne Landry-Altmann presented a funding plan that includes reducing spending in other areas, reducing capital contributions, and using money from reserves and from social services relief funding. The plan as passed would have a tax levy impact of $144,200 for 2021.

'This is a crisis'

The councillors behind the proposal said the project can help respond to the growing rates of homelessness in Sudbury, as well as increasing rates of opioid-related deaths.

"I think we can all agree that this is a crisis, and that we need to act now," McIntosh said.

During the pandemic, transitional housing has been "clearly identified" as a main gap in service, said Landry-Altmann.

"Every corner of our community is impacted by this crisis. Some more, some less, but make no mistake, we're all impacted by the effects."

The city still needs to find a location for the transitional housing, something the business case stated would likely be an approximately $6 million capital investment. Staff explained that in order to begin the process of searching for a location, the commitment for the operation side of the project was needed first.

While council has approved a plan to fund the $2.2 million operating costs with city funds, Mayor and council made it clear during the meeting that they hope to be able to access other funding to cover the costs.

"I have absolutely no doubt that on a going forward basis support will come on stream and there will be additional funds available to help offset the costs on a going forward basis. But someone has to be first. Someone has to be willing to take this step," Cormier said.

Mayor Brian Bigger said council has his "commitment to strongly advocate to the various ministries at the provincial level to find sources of operational funding." He said he hopes the project "will touch their hearts and allow us to receive operational funding."

Deliberations on the city's budget are set to continue later this month, and then the budget will go before council for final approval.