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Northern Ontario Homelessness Surges 117% Since 2021
Ontario’s homelessness crisis is accelerating, and nowhere is the impact more than in Northern Ontario.
A new 2026 report shows that homelessness in the north has grown by an astonishing 117 per cent since 2021, more than double the provincial rate.
Despite making up only five per cent of Ontario’s population, Northern Ontario now accounts for nearly 10 per cent of all people experiencing homelessness.
The report and recent local coverage highlight how small and rural communities are now facing pressures once associated with major urban centres, from rising encampments to overwhelmed emergency services.
The data shows that homelessness in Ontario has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, even as funding and services expanded. In 2025, nearly 85,000 Ontarians experienced homelessness, and more than half were chronically homeless.
Northern communities saw a 37.3 per cent increase in a single year, driven by limited housing supply, long waitlists, untreated mental illness, addiction, and a lack of local service infrastructure. Municipalities are spending more than ever, but the crisis continues to grow faster than the resources available to manage it.
We sat down with Mike Nadeau, CEO of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services to see what is happening on the streets in Northern Ontario.
