Building a homeless shelter is not one of the recommendations in the 10-year homelessness plan approved by council on Monday.
However, a consultant says action still needs to be taken to fix the invisible homelessness issue in the community.
Gwen Potter-King, said up to 630 households experience homelessness in Chatham-Kent each year.
Potter-King added emergency shelters are not the best way to solve homelessness. She recommends the municipality invest money so people can remain housed.
Valerie Colasanti, director of employment and social services, said investing in prevention is the focus.
“I think with the prevention, we shouldn’t need a shelter,” she said.
Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew entered a successful motion to approve the 10-year plan, as well as the C-K housing study update and community housing plan, and the revised C-K template for the annual housing and homelessness report card.
“People often think of homelessness as people laying cardboard out in front of the theatre,” she said. “It is invisible here. Couch surfers, people with addictions … families become homeless for whatever reason, or people staying with friends until they get on their feet.”
