Despite emergency declaration, Niagara faces uphill battle against homelessness, mental health and addictions

Niagara Region’s public health and social services committee co-chair says the recent declaration of a local state of emergency for homelessness, mental health and opioid addiction is just the start.

Regional council voted on Feb. 23 to issue the declaration and ask for federal and provincial support in all three areas.

“I just want to start the conversation and put a spark out there,” said Welland Coun. Pat Chiocchio, who authored a motion for the declaration.

“I appreciate what the provincial and federal governments are doing, but there are gaps in the system, and we need to all sit down together, including the people on the front lines. They know where the gaps are, so we all need to be listening to them.”

The Region already invests millions to help alleviate some of the problems, but despite the effort, numbers of affected people keep increasing, Chiocchio said.

“We hear from the organizations that the programs are often great, but they need to be expanded, and they can’t because they have been working with the same budget for the last decade,” Chiocchio said.

Statistics reinforce the concerns. The wait-list for Niagara Regional Housing varies from three to 20 years, depending on where a person lives and age.

In addition, the Region’s point-in-time homeless count in 2021 identified almost 660 unhoused people, while another report found 277 shelter beds of varying types across Niagara for them.

The mental health emergency is illustrated in a Niagara Regional Police report that showed a 238 per cent increase in calls from people in crisis over the past five years.

Meanwhile, the wait-list at Pathstone Mental Health for children seeking services is almost 800.

Regarding opioids, Niagara Emergency Medical Services reported 1,001 suspected overdoses in 2021, while a recent NRP budget presentation showed opioid-related deaths increased to 165 in 2021 from 93 in 2019.

Scott Neufeld, a lecturer in Brock University’s department of psychology who researches issues of substance use and homelessness, said even if some people believe emergency declarations are “largely performative,” they are vital to raise awareness of the “drug toxicity crisis” and other issues.

“Added awareness can’t hurt, and any positive movement or acknowledgment from local politicians is a welcome sign,” he said.

André Gagnon, a media relations adviser with Health Canada, called the nation’s overdose crisis “unprecedented” despite the best efforts of health-care professionals, organizations and all levels of government to address this crisis.

“We know more needs to be done, and we will continue to work with jurisdictions, health providers, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and provide people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need, wherever they live,” Gagnon said in an email.

Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for the deputy premier and minister of health, Sylvia Jones, said the province is addressing the opioid crisis in multiple ways, including spending $93 million since 2019 for community addiction services as well as $9.05 million for youth wellness hubs for youths aged 12 to 25.

Jensen said in an email that the province has invested in Niagara by creating a mobile crisis and addictions clinic for Niagara and Haldimand-Norfolk, and put forward $2 million to create three mobile crisis response teams in partnership with Canadian Mental Health Association Niagara.

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