It is said the only certainties in life are death and taxes.
And the latter is a key concern for Chatham-Kent residents, according to researcher Nik Nanos.
He spoke at the recent Housing Affordability Summit in Chatham, presenting results of a poll conducted in Chatham-Kent.
Topping the list of issues mentioned by those polled, homelessness, jobs, the economy and property taxes top the list, with housing affordability right up there as well.
Is the sky falling? Is Chatham-Kent the armpit of Ontario?
Hardly.
If Nanos had run that poll in pretty much any other town or city in the province, do you think the top concerns would be any different? Perhaps crime might creep up there for some cities, but, basically, what Nanos listed at the summit is the not-so-greatest hits impacting everywhere.
For Chatham-Kent, the pandemic delivered two problems front and centre for all to see: homelessness and housing prices.
Homelessness went from being much more sporadic and certainly more hidden to the larger cluster that is now on Grand Avenue East near the water treatment plant.
Housing prices here didn’t just spike; they surged.
The homeless issue has not gone away, although more supports are in place.
Property prices stopped exploding, but are definitely not at pre-pandemic levels. Rent remains up as well.
It’s great for property owners, but the lack of affordable housing is pushing more and more residents towards potential homelessness.
These are very real and very concerning issues.
As mentioned, this is happening basically everywhere.
When we take a step back, we’re not in a dire situation here compared to elsewhere.
According to a 2025 study of Ontario municipalities by research firm BMA – a study commissioned by cities and towns across the province – Chatham-Kent’s property taxes are below average for a municipality of our size bracket.
The economy is not in the toilet. But it could be better, no doubt.
Nanos’ numbers also indicated the majority of respondents said they believe C-K is a good place to live. We agree with that.
We do encourage council to continue to seek ways to stretch our tax dollars further; ditto for municipal department heads.
Taxes are not a bottomless pit of cash. They come from our wallets, and when we can keep more money in there so we can spend it elsewhere around C-K, or save for the future, everyone benefits.
