At a time of high inflation, increasing interest rates, labour shortages, lack of affordable housing, and an increased demand for more community mental health and addictions services and community care programs, WoodGreen as a Toronto social service leader is participating in the provincial budget consultation 2023 process to advocate for community care sector investment that will help empower thousands of vulnerable residents to secure employment, housing, and wrap-around support services.
Help tell the Ontario government to invest more in community care. Take action.
What are budget consultations?
Right now, the Ontario government is starting to plan its budget for its next fiscal year by hosting consultation sessions. These sessions give stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback to the government on what they would like to see in the next budget. They are our opportunity to voice ideas, concerns, or new areas of focus of where the government should prioritize its spending in its coming fiscal year. This is our chance as a community to tell the government that more investment is critically needed to support vulnerable residents in securing employment, housing, and wrap-around support services.
WoodGreen’s Pre-Budget Submission and Call to Action.
In our pre-budget submission, WoodGreen has made recommendations to address some of the most critical issues in our community and show how, with further investment, our services can help even more people to thrive. Read our full submission.
In our submission, WoodGreen Community Services pre-budget made several funding requests for expansion of specific WoodGreen programs and services, particular those in high demand, and made five recommendations:
1.Continue to provide funding towards local employment and financial empowerment programs to help the most challenged job seekers improve their employability.
2. Provide additional investment for community care services, including implementation of assisted living care models such as cluster care, and further funding towards community support services and community health human resources (e.g. personal support workers).
3.Provide additional investment to expand community mental health and addictions services.
4.Support women’s economic empowerment and pathways to employment through partnership with WoodGreen Community Services’ Homeward Bound program.
5.Sustain supportive and community housing by:
- providing funds to municipal housing programs;
- increasing the inclusionary zoning affordability period and;
- streamlining processes for supportive housing funds and subsidies.
We need your help!
You too can tell the Ontario government that investment in community care is needed now!
Let the government know that further investment towards employment and financial empowerment programs, community care programs and community-based mental health and addictions services are important to you by sending a letter here to your local Member of Provincial Parliament.
