A Belleville councillor was not impressed with a comment made by local MPP Todd Smith on CJBQ’s Lorne Brooker show earlier this week.
At a meeting Tuesday, council was discussing a motion on homelessness and having the provincial government declare the problem a crisis and start providing more financial support and mental health/addictions services.
Kathryn Brown said when host Brooker pressed Smith about the seriousness of the homelessness issue in the city Smith replied that homelessness was even worse in many other communities.
Brown said she was “shocked” saying that kind of response doesn’t “cut it” and does nothing to solve the problem.
Smith also told Brooker the provincial government has no intentions of opening a discussion about “institutions” to handle homelessness and mental health problems.
Brown said “lock up” type institutions were not an answer but there is a desperate need for provincial institutionalized mental health/addictions services and housing supports.
