Hundreds of homeless people sent to London from other Ontario cities this year: Deputy Mayor Lewis

Explosive allegations by the deputy mayor of London based on municipal data that shows people have arrived in the city from other municipalities during the first six months of 2023 seeking support services for homelessness.

In a letter to council colleagues, Shawn Lewis adds that a quarter of those individuals claim they were sent here from other municipalities against their will or under the false pretense that housing and support services are more readily available in London.

“What we must not accept, and what must be addressed, are those who are moved to London under false pretenses or against their will,” Lewis wrote.

“Our current social services are beyond capacity. Our available housing inventory, particularly in the rental market, is effectively zero,” the deputy mayor added. “We have no capacity to do more. Unfortunately, that fact is seemingly being ignored by some in other jurisdictions across Ontario.”

He asserts what Londoners have long-suspected is no longer a subject of conjecture.

“During the first six months of 2023, City of London staff has successfully diverted 319 individuals back to communities where they have a natural support network after having arrived in London seeking supports,” Lewis wrote.

The data is described as “incomplete” because it does not include individuals who are unwilling to self-identify as being sent to London from another community.

The deputy mayor said, “Over 25 per cent were sent here against their will, or under false pretenses, by various individuals and organizations from outside London.”

His letter doesn’t name the organizations, individuals, or municipalities sending people to London to access resources meant for homeless Londoners.

“I don’t want to get into naming and shaming,” Lewis told CTV News in an interview. “I will say I don’t believe this is an organized effort on the part of a municipality. There may be people with very good intentions knowing that their own community is overcapacity trying to get people to places where they think there is help.

CTV News spoke with two men in their 20s who are staying at the Men’s Mission on York Street.

They asked not to be identified by name, but described arriving as refugees in Toronto and being offered assistance getting on a bus to London — a city they have no connection to.

This is not the first time the issue has surfaced at city hall.

During a meeting in October 2022, Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen asked about rumours surrounding people experiencing homelessness in other communities and being bussed to London.

“Organized groups of homeless [people] are coming into London from other areas,” said Van Meerbergen. “Other areas of the province and perhaps beyond.”

“It’s not been substantiated anywhere, it’s a rumour,” responded then-Coun. Stephen Turner. “It’s unethical for a municipality to do so. We would not do that, other municipalities would not do that.”

But the previous councillor representing downtown London, John Fyfe-Millar, told CTV News after the meeting he wasn’t so sure, “Some of those new faces we’re seeing on our streets are coming from other communities.”

Lewis’ letter to his colleagues acknowledges that people relocating to London of their own freewill is commonplace and that council should not pass judgement, “However, those who are being moved against their will or under the false promise of available resources in London is at best grossly misinformed, and at worst inhumane.”

 

Lewis will propose a motion at a council committee meeting on Aug. 16

That Mayor Josh Morgan and Government Relations staff:

a) undertake immediate advocacy efforts with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Ontario Big City Mayors Caucus, and the Government of Ontario to develop a united policy condemning the relocation of homeless individuals under false pretense or against their will;

b) And to further work with those partners to undertake the development of processes to stop this practice, including but not limited to the withdrawal of public funding, charitable, or not for profit status of any organization found to be actively engaged in such activities and/or the suspension of professional accreditation of individuals found to be engaged in such activities.

c) And to work with the province to develop a program by which those released from hospitals or detention centres are provided proper discharge planning that includes transportation back to their home communities.

“If they want to stay here, we aren’t forcing them to go back,” Lewis suggested London offers people arriving from other cities a compassionate choice. “We aren’t moving them against their will, but if they want to go back to their community of origin. If they want to connect with family and friend support elsewhere, we will help do that.

The pushback against unnamed municipalities comes as London prepares to host the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference from August 20-23.

The deputy mayor concluded his letter by saying, “These actions must cease, and those engaging in this type of activity must be held to account.”