City administration gets to work on a strategy to reduce homelessness and poverty in Thunder Bay.
The request, brought forward by At-Large Councillor Mark Bentz, passed unanimously Monday night.
Ahead of the vote, many elected members discussed how much the city has done already and that they need help from both the provincial and federal governments.
Bentz stressed he’s looking forward with this initiative, adding “I’m looking for real, leveraging strategies not so we take on this issue, but that we bring people to the table that should be there. This is a different way of doing things perhaps, but it’s not certainly not a way to get information on what the city is already doing.”
Current River councillor Andrew Foulds questioned why it seems like cities are carrying the full responsibility of this issue.
“Where are the provincial governments? Where is the federal government? Why are they letting municipalities down by having us take the hit for healthcare, which is not in our wheelhouse,” said Foulds.
Several councillors, including Northwood’s Shelby Ch’ng, wanted staff to also investigate the Care Bus, which was started in March by council along with local groups including Not One More Death.
Another discussion point was money and how much any new plan would cost the property taxpayer.
While an exact answer was not known, City Manager Norm Gale stated this is not just about money.
“It is a healthcare issue, it is a social services issue and money doesn’t simply solve the problem. It is deep, complex and there is much to this.”
City staff will present their findings to council no later than December 20th.
