Thunder Bay’s Approach Seems only to Want to Build Bureaucracy not Solve Problem!

THUNDER BAY – HOUSING & SOCIAL POLICY – As Thunder Bay moves forward with plans to build an 80-unit “small shed” encampment to manage visible homelessness, countries like Portugal are taking a different route—investing in long-term solutions that prioritize permanent housing, integrated support services, and systemic prevention.

The contrast is stark. While Thunder Bay scrambles to meet emergency shelter needs with temporary cabins, Portugal is pushing ahead with a national strategy to end homelessness, rooted in housing as a human right.

Portugal: From Management to Eradication

Portugal’s approach to homelessness has undergone a transformation in recent years. In 2017, the country launched its National Strategy for the Integration of Homeless People, updated in 2021 with a new goal: eliminating homelessness by 2030.

Key elements of the Portuguese model include:

• ✅ Housing First principles: Providing permanent housing without preconditions, followed by wraparound supports (mental health, addiction treatment, employment help).

• ✅ National and local coordination: Municipalities are funded and guided by a national framework that ensures consistency and long-term investment.

• ✅ A person-centred model: Outreach teams identify individuals sleeping rough and work directly with them to transition into housing—not just temporary shelter beds.

As of 2023, dozens of Portuguese municipalities had launched Housing First programs, and homelessness numbers began to decline, especially among long-term street-involved individuals.

“Housing is not a reward for good behaviour. It is a prerequisite for stability,” said one Portuguese housing official. “We invest in housing people first, then healing happens.”

Thunder Bay: Managing Crisis with Temporary Structures

Meanwhile, Thunder Bay is responding to its worsening homelessness crisis by proposing an 80-unit “shed-style” sleeping cabin site. These small, insulated shelters offer basic accommodation—a cot, a small heater, and limited storage—but are not equipped with kitchens or bathrooms, which would be shared in communal facilities.

While the project aims to reduce reliance on encampments in parks and vacant lots, critics say it lacks the long-term vision and infrastructure to truly reduce homelessness.

“This is emergency management, not a pathway out,” said worker on background. “We’re creating a new form of shelter—not homes.”

Thunder Bay has limited permanent supportive housing stock, and existing Housing First programs lack capacity to meet current demand. Without sustained funding or provincial strategy integration, many worry the shed site will become a stopgap without an exit strategy.

Portugal’s Systems Approach vs. Thunder Bay’s Patchwork

Portugal’s success lies in its systems-level coordination—national policy, municipal implementation, and funding continuity. The country treats homelessness as a complex social issue requiring holistic solutions: housing, health care, education, and employment support.

Thunder Bay’s current approach—though well-intentioned—functions as a local crisis response, not a systems solution. It reflects broader provincial and national gaps in Canada’s housing strategy, where municipalities are left to innovate without consistent support.

Cost Efficiency and Public Savings

Portugal has shown that investing in permanent housing leads to cost savings in health care, policing, and emergency services. Several European studies, including Portugal’s own assessments, show that Housing First models reduce public costs over time.

Thunder Bay continues to spend millions annually on policing, emergency shelters, and health crises linked to homelessness—costs that may continue rising without permanent solutions.

Where Thunder Bay Goes Next

With homelessness visible in nearly every neighbourhood and encampments a growing concern, Thunder Bay residents are demanding action. But is temporary shelter enough—or is it time to adopt a model like Portugal’s, focused on dignity, housing, and healing?

For Thunder Bay to make meaningful progress, advocates argue the city must:

• Expand permanent supportive housing options

• Secure stable funding from provincial and federal partners

• Prioritize Housing First policies over shelter-first strategies

• Ensure community consultation includes those with lived experience

Housing as a Right, Not a Reward

Portugal’s model proves that homelessness is solvable—when treated not as a nuisance, but as a failure of systems that can be rebuilt.

As Thunder Bay debates the future of housing and homelessness in its backyard, it may be time to look across the Atlantic for more than inspiration. It may be time for transformation.