Protesters push homelessness onto council agenda, but emergency declaration ask falls short

In the end, the protesters didn't get what they wanted: A state of emergency declaration by London councillors over the city's ongoing struggles with housing affordability and homelessness.

The protesters' goal was to get an emergency motion passed, one similar to a housing crisis emergency declaration supported by Ottawa city council in 2020. 

However, the few dozen who gathered on the steps at city hall for a rally before coming inside for the committee-of-the-whole meeting were able to get the emergency declaration on the agenda. 

It just wasn't the motion that council voted to support. 

Instead, council unanimously endorsed a motion, saying city council "recognizes that there is an untenable emergency in our city, and communities across the country, related to housing and homelessness."

The motion also essentially reiterates council's commitments to ongoing efforts to deal with housing and homelessness including calling on more help from senior governments. The motion also repeats a city commitment to create 3,000 affordable housing units by 2026 and 47,000 over the next decade. 

The motion calls on the city to help non-profit organizations that support people who are unhoused and to look for "other opportunities to find housing and homelessness solutions." 

Jeff Hanks helped organize the protest.

He spoke at the rally outside city hall, then came inside where he addressed council as part of a delegation. Many of those who attended the rally also came inside in an effort to peacefully push their message.

Hanks told council the city must do more to help those living without housing and assist those who are in danger of being pushed out of their homes by rising rents.

"There's a lot of people suffering," said Hanks. "There's people dying unnecessarily. We must have money for people."

Emergency motion an 'awkward tool'

The emergency declaration motion didn't get traction in council chambers. City manager Lynne Livingstone told councillors that emergency declarations are better suited for short-term measures and not complex, chronic problems like homelessness. 

"It is an awkward tool to try and address a crisis of this nature," she said. "What's needed is the kinds of solutions that council has supported so far." 

Livingstone was referring to London's recently announced measures to address housing, including opening housing "hubs" across the city operating 24 hours a day.

Coun. Sam Trosow who spoke to the protesters outside said their voices were heard inside, even if council fell short of giving them what they wanted. 

"I think it's an important moral statement for us to be raising," said Trosow, looking up at the protesters who sat in the gallery. "You need to know that you made an impact on this council."