MPP Wong-Tam: Provincial government has failed women experiencing homelessness

QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam stood with housing service providers, advocates and clients to call on the government to end women’s homelessness by investing in affordable, supportive housing.

Communities across the province are facing a homelessness crisis, with over 1400 encampments throughout Ontario. Women and gender diverse people experience a distinct risk of violence and crime without appropriate shelter.

“Ontario lacks a cohesive provincial plan to prevent and reduce homelessness. This lack of a comprehensive strategy isn’t just a gap in governance—it’s a moral failure” said Wong-Tam. “Homelessness isn’t an inevitability; it’s a solvable problem. Yet, under this government, housing programs are underfunded, fragmented, and poorly coordinated.”

The Ontario NDP has put forward policies to support unhoused individuals, including doubling social assistance rates and a plan to build 250,000 affordable homes. The provincial government has failed to take advantage of federal funds for shelter spaces and services.

Additional Quotes:

“Solutions to homelessness do not include incarceration, dispersing tent cities, the creation/enforcement of bylaws or the use of the notwithstanding clause to address the visibility of homelessness. In order to make any strides in reducing homelessness, we need both supportive housing and deeply affordable housing.”

Cory Roslyn, Executive Director of Elizabeth Fry Society of Northeastern Ontario

“More and more women are homeless now than a year ago. They are living in shelters, in the streets and in encampments because of the absence of government policies and lack of investments in affordable supportive care housing. For every woman my agency is able to help, we turn away six, because we simply don’t have the funding or infrastructure to support the hundreds of women who need us.”

Siu Mee Cheng - Executive Director, Street Haven at the Crossroads

"Without support, women who are homeless are trapped in a cycle of uncertainty. Nobody deserves to live like this. When i received shelter at Street Haven I experienced stability after a long period without it. Because of that stability I was able to go back to school and begin my tech career without having to worry about where I would sleep that night or if I would have stable internet access. Every woman deserves these opportunities and the opportunity to safely exit the shelter system."

Vivian, Client, Street Haven at the Crossroads