There were 2,247 individuals known to be homeless in Hamilton in March. That’s up 13 per cent since December and a new record, topping the records set in January and then again in February. There were twice as many people experiencing homelessness in March this year than there were in March five years ago.
A report to city council showed that in 2025, city systems recorded 3,004 individuals who were homeless for at least one day; 1,287 of them were homeless for more than six months; 577 were unsheltered. The city helped 4,027 low-income households pay rent or utility arrears to keep them housed or to help them move to more affordable units. Without that $5.4 million in support, many of those households would have been evicted and some would have become homeless. Another 3,557 households got legal support from the city.
The solution to homelessness is permanent supportive housing—affordable housing that provides needed health and other services. And it works. Of 118 homeless individuals who got housing during 2025, only five returned to homelessness. But only 97 new supportive units opened in 2025. High levels of homelessness reflect the fact that rents in the for-profit market remain unaffordable for most tenants and there’s a huge lack of non-profit or co-op affordable and supportive housing. The same is true across Ontario. A report by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario showed homelessness increased by almost 8 per cent in 2025 to almost 85,000. Both homelessness and waitlists for subsidized housing have risen by more than 40 per cent since 2018.