Toronto, ON (November 6th, 2026) – WoodGreen Community Services welcomes the Federal government’s Budget 2026, specifically its historic investments in housing and commitment to end homelessness within a decade.
We also welcome the federal government’s investment in affordability with tax credit options including expanded updates for eligibility under the Medical Expense Tax Credit and the proposed refundable Canada Caregiver Credit, which supports caregivers and helps people remain in homes and communities. As a community support agency, we see firsthand the significant burden placed on caregivers and the growing need for greater investment in the care economy.
Budget 2026's $45 billion housing investment is a welcome step toward addressing Canada's housing challenges. This strategy recognizes that meaningful progress is not just building homes but also addressing supports to transition out of homelessness and expanding access to affordable and non-market housing.
As both a community mental health provider and one of Toronto's largest non-municipal, non-profit housing developers with ability to deliver affordable housing, mixed-income projects, and supportive housing at scale, we strongly support Budget 2026’s significant investments in integrated housing and supports, supportive and transitional housing, and community mental health and addictions infrastructure. The proposed $1.8 billion for the Integrated Supports Fund, $3.6 billion for new supportive and transitional housing, and $2 billion for the Health Infrastructure Fund recognize the critical connection between housing, mental health, addictions, and overall well-being. Today's budget creates an opportunity for service providers like WoodGreen to expand our development of affordable housing integrated with wraparound supports, including health services, childcare and financial assistance.
We are pleased to hear about the Integrated Supports Fund and investments for supportive and transitional housing. We look forward to understanding how these investments can directly support local Toronto-based projects and expand affordable housing, health and housing models, including WoodGreen's Cluster Care model, an innovative approach to seniors' housing and health, which has diverted 83% of clients away from long-term care.
We also welcome the proposed $2.1 billion to renew the Reaching Home initiative. Sustained investment in community-led homelessness prevention and support services is essential to addressing the complex factors that contribute to homelessness. The renewal of the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative, providing $107.1 million over three years, is also welcome news. This funding is critical for non-profits like WoodGreen, which are committed to upgrading existing housing stock and improving energy efficiency, as demonstrated by recent investments in the 444 Logan Avenue project.
Today's commitments represent an important opportunity to build a more integrated, responsive, and compassionate system that prevents homelessness and helps individuals and communities thrive. WoodGreen looks forward to further details and is eager to continue working in collaboration with the government to advance the development of affordable housing, supportive housing and tackle homelessness.
ABOUT WOODGREEN COMMUNITY SERVICES (woodgreen.org): WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto, serving 40,000 people each year. We offer over 75 programs and services tackling the social determinants that affect the health and well-being of individuals in our community.
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