In December 2025, Mayor Darrin Canniff joined mayors from 28 other cities (29 municipalities in total) through the Solve the Crisis campaign to ask the provincial government to declare a state of emergency on homelessness, mental health and addictions.
The mayors are asking Premier Doug Ford to appoint a single lead minister with the authority and funding to expand supportive housing, mental health and addiction treatment across Ontario. They also call for a “Social Contract” to ensure long-term commitments. Some mayors — including Canniff in his role as co‑chair of the OBCM Mental Health Working Committee — have urged the federal government to consider decriminalizing controlled substances as part of a public‑health approach, according to OBCM materials and local reporting.
Chatham-Kent’s push follows the province’s rejection of its bid for a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in October 2024, while Windsor and Sarnia were selected. After council approved a temporary cabin (transitional cabin) housing model this fall, the municipality is seeking provincial support to cover wrap‑around medical services and operational costs.
The Community Mental Health Association Lambton‑Kent, which led Chatham‑Kent’s HART Hub application, has been cited as the likely operator for any new treatment centre. Downtown Chatham has seen more encampments and growing demand for shelters this winter; service providers warn that without provincial funding, local resources will be stretched to the limit.
