RAINY RIVER – A recent study shows the Rainy River district has the second largest population of people experiencing homelessness in the province, and the results have prompted a call to the government.
The study was done by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) and showed that the population of people experiencing homelessness in all of Ontario increased by 17.9 per cent from 2022-2023 to 2024-2025.
Based on the number of people per 100,000 experiencing homelessness, the Rainy River district was second, following Cochrane, and showed a 170.9 per cent increase over those four years — increasing at nearly 10 times the provincial rate.
The only other Northwestern Ontario district shown in the data was the Thunder Bay district, whose numbers decreased by 38.1 per cent in the four-year span. The district was the only one out of the top 10 areas experiencing homelessness that had a decline.
This prompted the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA)’s call to the government for the development of “an integrated Northern Ontario investment scenario combining housing capital, operating funding, mental health and substance use supports totaling $435.7 million annually over ten years.
“That is approximately 1.3 cents for every dollar of Northern Ontario’s $34.6 billion annual GDP,” the organization said.
NOSDA conducted their own study following the results of the FAO’s and found that “in 2025, at least 3,316 Indigenous people were experiencing homelessness in Northern Ontario, reflecting a 22.7 per cent increase from 2024.
“These numbers make it clear that Northern Ontario’s homeless problem has unique circumstances,” said Fern Dominelli, the executive director of NOSDA.
“Our communities face higher construction and operating costs, limited rental markets, long distances between communities and services, aging housing stock and significant gaps in affordable and supportive housing,” Dominelli said, adding that it’s not sustainable to reduce the investment available to address homelessness.
“We need to move from managing the consequences of homelessness to making the investments that prevent homelessness. That starts with building housing and connecting people to the health and social supports they need to remain housed,” Dominelli said.
The District of Rainy River Services Board told Newswatch that “In Fort Frances and Atikokan, we are seeing more people living outdoors or in vehicles. In smaller communities, homelessness is often less visible, with people couch surfing, living in overcrowded homes, staying in campers or tents, or moving between temporary arrangements.”
The board said the study reinforces the urgent housing challenge in the district, which is not just a shortage of housing, but also “a shortage of housing that people can afford and safely maintain.
“Our district has a limited rental market, aging housing stock, few accessible units, and insufficient supportive housing. Rural and Northern realities make this more difficult, as residents may need to travel long distances to access housing, health, mental-health or addictions supports,” said the board, adding they’ll continue to work with all levels of government, Indigenous partners and community agencies to advance solutions.
