Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Review

Hamilton is revising its existing Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan and we want to hear from you. The CSWB Plan brings together multiple sectors, including social services, health care, law enforcement, education and community organizations to address the root causes of community safety and well-being.

Hamilton’s CSWB Plan was developed by the City of Hamilton and community partners and was unanimously adopted by Hamilton City Council on June 23, 2021. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act,2019 municipalities are required to develop a CSWB Plan using the provincial government’s CSWB Framework.

The CSWB Plan aims to create a sustainable community where everyone feels safe, has a sense of belonging and can access the services they need. It focuses on four key areas:

• Social development: Improving the social determinants of health and reducing the probability of harm.
• Prevention: Implementing proactive programs to address risks before they result in crime, harm, or victimization.
• Risk intervention: Reducing the need for incident response by preventing issues before they occur.
• Incident response: Providing immediate responses to urgent situations.

The CSWB Plan is designed to enhance safety and well-being in Hamilton by collaboratively addressing key social challenges.

To learn more about the progress that has taken place to date, please visit: www.hamilton.ca/safetyandwellbeing

Why is the CSWB Plan being revised?

As of April 1, 2024, the Community Safety and Well-Being Planning – Review and Revision regulation under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019mandates that municipalities review and if necessary, revise their plans every four years. Hamilton must submit its revised plan to the Ministry of the Solicitor General by July 1, 2025.

Current CSWB Plan Priorities

Community partners identified six local priorities for further investigation and collaboration that are included in Hamilton’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

These priorities are:

• hate incidents
• violence
• mental health and stigmatization
• substance use
• homelessness and access to affordable housing
• access to income

Next steps

Your feedback will directly shape the revision of the CSWB Plan by helping us:

• Address key challenges: such as reducing hate incidents, lowering violent crime rates, improving mental health, reducing stigma, mitigating substance use, addressing housing and homelessness and enhancing access to income.
• Refine priorities: We’ll use your input to confirm whether existing priorities are still important and identify any new or emerging issues that need attention.
• Identify gaps: Your insights will help us evaluate the current CSWB model, determine what’s working well and highlight areas for improvement.

Your ideas will inform the strategies and actions in the revised plan. Hamilton must submit its revised plan to the Ministry of the Solicitor General by July 1, 2025. We’ll continue to engage the community throughout the continued implementation of the plan. Future opportunities to provide input will be posted on this site.