Shelter rules affect the people who need shelter, the people working inside it and the neighbourhood around it. Those are not separate conversations. Access, safety, recovery options and neighbourhood impact have to be dealt with together.
My Plan · Where I Stand
Substance Use Policy in Emergency Shelters
Compassion, safety and recovery have to exist in the same shelter system.
Current record
Council changed the proposed guideline before approval.
On August 25, 2026, Council approved updated emergency shelter guidelines after removing the proposed clause that said admission could not be denied solely because a person possessed drugs. The approved guidelines do not set one City-wide rule on drug possession; shelter operators determine their own practices, while drug use inside shelters remains prohibited. The position below has been updated to reflect that final decision and the broader accountability questions raised in my August 7 written submission.
City of London — Council Briefs, August 25, 2026The answer
Here’s the issue. Here’s my answer. Here’s what I’d do.
I support dignified shelter, low-barrier access, naloxone and housing-focused help. I also support clear operating rules, sober and recovery-oriented options, consequences for dangerous conduct and neighbourhood safety plans. Compassion and safety have to exist in the same system.
I would push for shelter agreements to spell out who handles complaints, neighbourhood problems, recovery options and operator accountability — and who owns each part between the City, providers, police and health services. I put those requests in writing before Council made its final decision.
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Where to go next.
BISSON13 · Ward 13
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