A state of emergency has been called by the city of Hamilton, Ontario, for the growing amount of homelessness, opioid addiction, and mental health problems. The city council finally approved the motion that passed the emergency social welfare committee last week.
The declaration of a state of emergency does not immediately launch a new program to address the crisis, but the city of Hamilton could force the state to make changes if similar legislation were passed by other municipalities.
Mayor Andrea Hovath is expected to ask the Ontario government to come up with a countermeasure according to the recommendations of public health groups.
According to a report released in January, Hamilton’s number of opioid-related deaths and overdoses has risen exponentially. Opioid deaths, which stood at 26 in 2005, jumped to 166 in 2021, with more than 65% of them among men between the ages of 25 and 65.
Citing a 2021 Auditor’s Office report, Mayor Hobath argued that the Ontario government did not allocate sufficient support for the issue.
He will seek immediate funding from the Ontario government and the Ministry of Health for mental health services to account for inflation and population growth.