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What is needed instead is a focus on the root causes of homelessness. This means investing in supportive and accessible housing, coupled with integrated mental health and substance use services, including voluntary treatment options for those who seek them. Rather than pursuing heavy-handed “law-and-order” tactics that infringe on citizens’ charter rights, mayors Guthrie and Liggett and their colleagues should dedicate their efforts to building these vital resources.

As a retired registered nurse with more than 40 years’ experience, I have witnessed the devastating consequences of our inadequate response to the drug poisoning crisis. In 2020, I lost my 18-year-old son to fentanyl poisoning after he was denied treatment due to a coexisting mental health issue. This tragedy has only deepened my horror at the increasing number of individuals left with few, if any, options for treatment or housing.

My professional association — the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) — has long advocated for harm reduction strategies integrated with broader supports to address the social determinants of health. Chief among these determinants is the physical environment — the homes and communities where we live.

Let’s be clear: shelters are not homes. Shelters are crowded, chaotic places with little privacy, no daytime accommodations, and limited facilities to store belongings. They are often inaccessible to people with physical disabilities and fail to allow couples to stay together. They are rife with theft, drug exposure, assault, and sexual violence.

Instead, mayors should champion social housing programs at all levels of government. Social housing not only saves taxpayer dollars but also relieves stress on our health-care system.

Homelessness exacerbates infection rates, mobility issues, and mental health crises, shortens lifespans by an average of 17 years, and denies individuals access to primary care — further burdening our emergency rooms.

Consider the cost comparison: according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the monthly cost of social housing is $613. This is starkly lower than $2,100 for a shelter bed, $4,300 for a correctional facility bed, or $13,500 for a hospital bed. Housing people is not only a moral imperative but also an economically sound decision. Providing stable housing offers individuals dignity, safety, and a pathway out of homelessness.

As for involuntary treatment for substance use or mental health disorders, the Mental Health Act already allows for such measures in carefully controlled circumstances. Expanding this power risks infringing further on personal liberties and would overwhelm already strained systems. Emergency departments, courts, and mental health treatment facilities lack the capacity to handle increased admissions, and treatment beds are already insufficient for those actively seeking help.

I believe the mayors across our province genuinely want to create safer communities for their citizens. But the path forward must respect the fundamental rights of all, including those living in encampments. Adequate housing is a human right, and addressing homelessness through evidence-based, compassionate solutions is the only way to ensure safety and well-being for everyone.

Kathy Moreland is a retired registered nurse and the past president of the Waterloo Chapter of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). She recently moved home to Windsor, Ontario.