Tackling homelessness will be a key challenge for incoming Ontario mayors and councils
AMO says the province's homeless population reached about 85,000 and is asking for $11 billion over 10 years as incoming councils take office.
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Homelessness is among the most pressing issues facing mayors and councillors elected across Ontario, according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. The province's 444 municipalities are struggling with funding for housing, mental health and addiction services, and homelessness is taking up a growing share of annual budgets.
An AMO study estimated nearly 80,000 Ontarians were homeless in 2024, and the figure is about 85,000 in 2025. AMO expects it to rise again. Riley Brockington, AMO's president, called the number "breathtaking" for a province as wealthy as Ontario. More than half of homeless people have been homeless for more than six months, AMO says.
AMO is asking for $11 billion over 10 years to fund supportive, transitional and community housing for 75,000 people, plus prevention programs, and $2 billion over eight years for encampments, which numbered nearly 2,000 across the province last year. Brockington said municipalities cannot run deficits and need stable, long-term funding from the province and Ottawa. "Municipalities need to be able to budget and have some assurances going forward that the money will still be there," he said.
According to the Financial Accountability Office, projected provincial homelessness spending falls from $948 million in 2026-27 to $708 million in 2028-29, a decline it attributes to time-limited funding. AMO says growth over the past year was 37 per cent in northern Ontario and 31 per cent in mostly rural communities.
Covenant House Toronto CEO Mark Aston said prevention is key. On any given night in Toronto, more than 1,000 teens and children are in shelters or on the streets, and Ontario has about 20,000 homeless youth.
The facts
How many people are homeless in Ontario right now?
AMO estimates about 85,000 Ontarians are homeless in 2025, up from nearly 80,000 in 2024.
How much money is AMO requesting?
AMO is asking for $11 billion over 10 years for supportive, transitional, and community housing, plus prevention programs, and an additional $2 billion over eight years for encampments.
How many homeless youth are in Ontario?
Ontario has about 20,000 homeless youth, with more than 1,000 teens and children in Toronto shelters or on the streets on any given night.
Where is homelessness growing fastest in Ontario?
Northern Ontario saw 37 per cent growth in homelessness over the past year, while mostly rural communities experienced 31 per cent growth.
