Toronto, ON (March 26, 2026) – WoodGreen Community Services welcomes the Ontario government’s Budget 2026 and its investments in home and community care, developmental disabilities, supportive housing, primary care expansion, and measures aimed at improving affordability and enabling the development of affordable housing.
WoodGreen is pleased to see the government’s commitment of an additional $1.1 billion over three years to support home and community care services. This investment will help strengthen and sustain services across the sector, provide relief to caregivers, and support seniors in remaining safely in their homes.
WoodGreen strongly recommends a portion of this funding be allocated specifically to Community Support Services, including personal support, Meals on Wheels, assisted living, and transportation. WoodGreen will continue to advocate for funding that supports the expansion of enhanced assisted living models, such as our Cluster Care Model. This innovative approach provides vulnerable seniors who might otherwise require hospitalization with 24/7 supports, helping to prevent premature admission to long-term care and enabling appropriate transitions back into the community.
WoodGreen is also encouraged by the allocation of $53 million over three years for existing supportive housing, as well as efforts to reduce financial barriers for developers by removing the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on housing. However, demand for supportive housing continues to grow, and additional investments in operating funding for new developments will be essential. WoodGreen will continue to urge the government to prioritize the critical intersection of housing and health care.
While we support the above mentioned commitments, we are concerned by the limited emphasis on youth support in the budget. As youth unemployment rises alongside an increase in youth involvement in the justice system, WoodGreen continues to advocate for new investments to support both youth employment and workforce development programs and community-based youth justice services. These justice services include better funding for open custody programs, improved court-based supports, and increased focus on early prevention and rehabilitation supports for youth, including those transitioning out of services at 18, to help ensure they do not fall into homelessness, unemployment or poverty.
Overall, the commitments outlined in Budget 2026 represent a meaningful step forward in supporting vulnerable populations. WoodGreen remains committed to working in collaboration with the province to advance these priorities, empower individuals, and reduce poverty through innovative, community-based solutions.
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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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Jon Reed, Senior Communications Manager; [email protected];.