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Homelessness and Income Assistance in Halton: A Quiet but Steady Rise

Updated: 6 days ago

Between January 2-019 and August 2025, the number of people (beneficiaries) (1) receiving Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) in Halton Region who were experiencing homelessness steadily increased, revealing a growing gap between income supports and the cost of housing. The number rose from109 (January 2019) to 483 (July 2025), a 343% increase (Figure 1)



The new data obtained by Maytree Foundation through a Freedom of Information request provides a clear picture of how Ontario’s social assistance system is driving rising levels of homelessness. (2) The data includes OW and ODSP beneficiaries who reported no fixed address, were transient, or were living in emergency shelters. What the trend shows is not a short-term fluctuation, but a structural problem that has worsened over time. What the trend tells us:


Before the pandemic (2019):

  • Halton averaged about 85-110 OW/ODSP recipients per month experiencing homelessness

Early pandemic period (2020-2021):

  • Number dipped briefly, coinciding with emergency income supports and eviction moratoria, However, this decline was temporary.

Post-pandemic surge (2022 onward):

  • As temporary supports ended and rents escalated, homelessness among income assistance recipients rose sharply.

By 2024-2025:

  • Monthly counts consistently reached 450-490 people, more than four times higher than pre-pandemic levels.


Ontario Works accounts for most of this increase, reflecting the growing vulnerability of people relying on very low, time-limited income supports in a high-cost housing market. ODSP numbers have also risen steadily, underscoring how people with disabilities face profound barriers to securing and maintaining housing.

Income assistance falling behind.


While homelessness among OW and ODSP recipients in Halton rose sharply between 2019 and 2025, income assistance rates did not keep pace with the cost of living, particularly for people on Ontario Works.


For OW, maximum monthly rates were effectively frozen over this period. A single person received $733 per month (maximum shelter allowance of $390 and basic needs allowance of $343) in January 2019, and that amount remained unchanged by August 2025. If the rent is $300, the person receives $300 for shelter; if the rent is $500, he/she still receives the maximum of $390. If the person cannot provide proof of housing cost, he/she may only receive $343 basic needs portion.


Couples faced the same reality, with the maximum benefit holding steady at $1,136 per month. In real terms, these amounts lost significant purchasing power as rents, food, and utilities increased.


ODSP rates increased modestly but still fell far short of covering basic housing cost. A single ODSP recipient saw monthly benefits rise from $1,169 in 2019 to $1,408 in 2025, while couples’ benefits increased from $12,750 to $2,107. Even with these increases, ODSP incomes remain well below what is needed to secure market rental housing in Halton.


Duration of homelessness among OW and ODSP recipients (Ontario)

Ontario-wide data show clear differences and growing similarities in how long OW and ODSP recipients experience homelessness.


In January 2019, homelessness among OW recipients was more often short-term: 41% had been homeless for 0-4 months, while 30% had experienced homelessness for more than 12 months (including 14% for more than 24 moths) as shown in Figure 2.



In contrast, homelessness among ODSP recipients was already overwhelmingly long-term: 75% homeless for more than 12 months, 62% for more than 24 months (Figure 3), highlighting long-standing barriers to housing stability for people with disabilities.



In August 2025, the duration profile had shifted markedly. Among OW recipients, long-term homelessness increased substantially, with 39% homeless for more than 12 months (including 19% for more than 24 months), indicating that homelessness is becoming harder to exit.


For ODSP recipients, chronic homelessness remained the norm: 73% were homeless for more than 12 months, and 58% for more than 24 months, like 2019 despite significant growth in absolute numbers.

 

While comparable duration date is not available at the Halton level, these Ontario-wide patterns provide an important reference point for interpreting local counts and underscore how inadequate income supports and the lack of deeply affordable, accessible housing are driving longer and more entrenched homelessness across the province.


This is not an individual failure – it is a policy failure

Maytree’s report (3), Designed to Fail, argues that Ontario’s income security system is structurally incapable of preventing homelessness. OW and ODSP rates fall far below the cost of rent, let alone other necessities. When housing is unaffordable by design, homelessness becomes a predictable outcome – not an exception.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) (4) projected homelessness in Ontario to continue increasing through the next ten years (2035). In 2025, an estimated 85,000 people experienced homelessness in Ontario. Under steady conditions, known homelessness is projected to reach approximately 177,000 people province-wide by 2035. Under an economic downturn scenario, projected homelessness exceeds 297,000 people.


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(1) The number of beneficiaries refers to the total number of single individuals and heads of family units on social assistance plus all their dependents (i.e., spouses, dependent children and dependent adults).

(2) Maytree Policy Brief , Designed to Fail: How Ontario’s income security policies create an perpetuate homelessness, January 20, 2026, https://maytree.com/publications/designed-to-fail-how-ontarios-income-security-policies-create-and-perpetuate-homelessness/

(3) Ibid



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