In response to a letter from Councillors Keith Riel and Alex Bierk calling for the immediate creation of additional shelter spaces, Councillors Gary Baldwin, Matt Crowley, Kevin Duguay, Dave Haacke, Lesley Parnell, Don Vassiliadis have issued a joint statement expressing their support for Mayor Jeff Leal’s position.
The councillors emphasize their agreement with the mayor’s stance on homelessness services and funding:
As City Councillors for the City of Peterborough, we express our agreement with and strong support for the statement issued by Mayor Jeff Leal on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
The creation of 60 more temporary shelter beds is a substantial budget and service level decision that rightly belongs to Council as a whole.
This was not raised during the recent 2025 Budget review when City Council approved substantial increases in homelessness services funding to maintain and enhance services for people who are experiencing homelessness.
We will repeat some of Mayor Leal’s words:
“This Council has taken significant steps to help some of the most vulnerable in our community.
In terms of shelter spaces, our community supports 127 shelter and drop-in centre beds provided in partnership with community agencies. That is among the highest per-capita provision of shelter beds in the Province.
There are still people in our community who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Municipalities are not equipped to address homelessness and its related health care, mental health, addiction, and housing issues. Our ability as municipalities to fund these services out of property tax revenue, which is based on property assessment rather than ability to pay, is limited.
City Council decides how much to invest in homelessness services as it considers the various needs in our community. This Council is now, this year, more than doubling the City’s investment in the City’s Homeless Prevention Program for shelter services and drop-in centre spaces.
This Council has shown compassion and political will. There is no question more needs to be done.”
As city councillors, we recognize that additional, long term, provincial and federal funding is needed for the complete housing continuum.
Respectfully,
Councillor Gary Baldwin
Councillor Matt Crowley
Councillor Kevin Duguay
Councillor Dave Haacke
Counillor Lesley Parnell
Councillor Don Vassiliadis
