Pickering's 7 mayoral candidates share plans to tackle homelessness

All seven candidates vying to be Pickering's next mayor have shared their plans for tackling homelessness in the city, in responses published by the Pickering News Advertiser on Sunday. Kevin Ashe, Doug Cornell, Janice Frampton, Zargham Rasool, Shaun Rickard, Lisa Robinson and Andrea Wood each answered what they would do in the mayor's chair to address the growing issue, with responses capped at 125 words.

Incumbent mayor Kevin Ashe pointed to the city's funding of DARS transitional housing, which he said has given 18 people a roof over their heads, and his commitment to donate the Fire Hall 5 land for affordable non-profit housing. Challenger Doug Cornell called for a Pickering-specific plan with Durham Region — outreach, warming and cooling spaces and clear accountability — plus faster approvals for supportive housing, noting the city has tracked only 89 new affordable units since 2022.

Shaun Rickard said homelessness is now visible every day, including encampments in Esplanade Park, and would push Durham Region to fast-track supportive and transitional housing and fully fund 24-hour street outreach. Lisa Robinson proposed exploring "Project 3R Canada" — rescue, reinvent, relaunch — alongside revenue-generating social enterprises that create jobs, while Andrea Wood cited an estimate of 40 to 50 unhoused residents in Pickering and would budget for temporary, publicly funded supportive housing.

Online voting for Pickering residents opens Oct. 19 and concludes on Oct. 26, election day.