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City politicians voted unanimously Wednesday to give some overnight shelter beds for the homeless a financial lifeline until new federal funding can be arranged.
During the first session of talks for the 2025 budget update to London’s multi-year budget, city council gave the green light for $947,000 in surplus cash from a federal asylum claimant housing fund to be used on 60 shelter beds for next year.
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“What has been said lately is that we really want to ensure that there are overnight beds available this winter, and this is an opportunity to continue those beds past Dec. 31,” said Ward 7 Corrine Rahman, who spearheaded the move that was approved in a 15-0 vote.
The beds, at the Cronyn-Warner building at 430 William St, were part of a $4.2-million-a-year ask from the Ark Aid Street Mission to fund 90 new shelter beds year-round, with the remaining 30 at the Ark’s 696 Dundas St. location.
Rahman said she excluded the Dundas Street location to reach a consensus among council, after a previous decision forbade use of any incoming federal funding on temporary resting spaces on the main street of a business district.
The move also gives the city time to determine how recently announced federal funding can be used to support Ark Aid, as an agreement with Ottawa has yet to be formalized.
“Although we cannot make that particular decision today, we can recognize that there is other dollars available,” Mayor Josh Morgan said in support for the interim measure.
At midday Thursday, the 2025 property tax increase sits at 7.4 per cent. That would add $265 to the property tax bill of an “average” London home — “average” being one assessed at $252,000.
Budget talks were set to continue Thursday afternoon.
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