A surge in homelessness and the variety of individuals accumulating Ontario Works advantages has put the Brantford neighborhood in a tough place, says the town’s mayor.
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A surge in homelessness and the variety of individuals accumulating Ontario Works advantages has put the Brantford neighborhood in a tough place, says the town’s mayor.
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Kevin Davis, talking at a current social companies committee assembly, stated the issue is probably going going to worsen within the coming months.
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“I don’t hear very many individuals in our neighborhood saying ‘much less policing or much less housing or much less social companies’,” Davis stated. “In reality, what I’m listening to is an actual concern as a result of they will see what’s occurring on the road.
“It’s a really tough dilemma that we face as a result of we all know the necessity for these companies is solely going to extend.”
Meanwhile, residents are going through tough financial instances. Any property tax enhance that goes past the speed of inflation can create hardship for householders, Davis stated.
The mayor made the feedback following a report by Mary Musson, commissioner of neighborhood companies and social growth. Musson spoke to the committee, which included Brantford and County of Brant councillors, concerning the social companies funds.
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Musson advised the committee the common Ontario Works month-to-month caseload is the very best it has been in previous decade and is anticipated to proceed to extend into 2026.
The caseload is projected to extend to three,630 households by the fourth quarter of 2026. By comparability, the common month-to-month caseload in 2013 was 2,170 households.
The city-county shared social companies funds requires spending of simply over $20.7 million, up from simply over $19.2 million in 2024, representing a $1.52 million or 7.9 per cent enhance in spending.
About $619,000 of that enhance can be used to rent extra individuals to assist the anticipated Ontario Works caseload, meet contractual obligations and canopy inflationary prices
Meanwhile, the town and county are persevering with to grapple with the housing disaster.
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Citing a Municipalities of Ontario report, Musson stated the housing disaster in rural Ontario has surged dramatically in recent times, rising by greater than 150 per cent.
“Rural communities within the County of Brant face a excessive prevalence of hidden homelessness the place people usually dwell in unstable or non permanent preparations with out accessing formal helps,” Musson stated.
There has been a rise in homelessness of 281 per cent since 2016, she added.
Musson stated that as of June 30, 2025, there have been 602 homeless individuals in Brantford-Brant. Of these, 289 or 48 per cent have been experiencing persistent homelessness
Meanwhile, the social companies division can be searching for metropolis and county assist for a 2026 capital funds of simply over $7.5 million. If accepted by each metropolis and county councils, the funds can be used to assemble a brand new eight to 12-unit reasonably priced housing complicated on Colborne Street in addition to upkeep at a number of different municipally-owned housing.
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