Regional council votes to defer decision on options for plan to end chronic homelessness

Regional council passed at motion at Wednesday’s meeting to defer a decision on how to use funds allocated for the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness (“The Plan”).

The motion was brought forward by Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, who said that more discussion needed to happen between councillors before a decision is made.

“At the end of the day, these are issues that are impacting our neighborhoods and our communities,” said Vrbanovic. “My city councillors are dealing with these issues each and every day. Particularly in the areas were some of these services are being dealt with.”

City staff presented two options on how to use the $10.2 million allocated for “The Plan.” The first option would fund all aspects of the plan in equal proportion. The second would fully fund the fee for service requests and leave some areas with less money.

City staff originally asked for $14.2 million in November. A motion passed at last month’s budget deliberations to add 10.2 million to the region’s homelessness budget to help implement the plan.

Regional Chair Karen Redman said this portion is the first installment of “The Plan,” and a report is due in the spring that she predicts will be higher than what was planned in the budget.

“It will be at that junction that we are then going to be able to take our plan to the provincial and federal governments and say ‘we have done the journeyman work.'” said Redman.

“We have talked to people with lived experience in our jurisdiction and we need them to come to the table to help fund.”

A special council meeting will be held on February 6 where council will decide on an option.