Prince Edward-Lennox and Addington Social Services (PELASS) held a meeting today (Wednesday) to bring together staff and elected officials from municipalities across Lennox & Addington County and Prince Edward County to share challenges, successes, and innovative ideas related to homelessness in our communities.
Sam Branderhorst, Prince Edward County Councillor and Chair of the PELASS Committee opened the meeting by saying, “This issue touches every corner of our municipalities—urban, rural, and everything in between. It demands not only compassion but coordinated action. No single level of government, department, or agency can solve this alone. It requires a unified approach, grounded in collaboration, innovation, and sustained investment.”
The group spent the morning sharing information about homelessness, PELASS’ role and responsibilities and data on the current state of homelessness across our region. During the afternoon participants were able to focus on problem-solving. The ideas, recommendations and suggestions that came out of the session will be compiled and shared with the working group and reviewed by the PELASS Committee.
The meeting was also an opportunity to reflect on the past 10-year housing and homelessness plan and provide initial input into the next 10-year planning process. On August 14, 2025, PELASS received a letter from the Honourable Robert J. Flak, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing outlining the requirement to complete and submit a new 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan in May of 2026, covering the period 2026 to 2035.
This requirement was welcome news to Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Social Services Director Lynn Chenier. “We have been waiting a year for the go-ahead from the Province to start development of our new plan,” said Director Chenier. “In 2024 we were advised to wait to ensure the plan would take into account the Ministry’s guiding principles and new requirements for the plan.”
Development of the new Housing and Homelessness Plan will include:
Engagement with municipal staff,
Consultation with people with lived experience,
Input from community organizations involved in affordable housing and homelessness services,
Collaboration with other community stakeholders, and
Community consultation.
The updated Plan will also incorporate findings from PELASS’s Housing Needs Study, the HART Report, and data gathered through the enumeration of unhoused people scheduled for fall 2025.
Tony Fritsch, Lennox and Addington County Councillor and Vice-Chair of the PELASS Committee ended the day by urging the participants to, “leave, not only with ideas, but with a renewed commitment to action.” He went on to say, “Working together, we can build a more compassionate, coordinated and effective response to homelessness in our region.”
(PAUL MARTIN)
