Wide Range Key Messages (MPs, MPPs)

 

Message #1 – The government must restructure the funding formula for People and Families utilizing Individualized Funding (Passport)

  • In Mississauga as of April 2019 there are 1570 people receiving Passport funding
  • Most people receiving Passport funding do not receive sufficient funding to address their day support needs
  • Of those many can only afford less than three days a week of support
  • In Mississauga as of April 2019 of all the people receiving Passport funding there are 623 people who have identified that they require an additional; $4,553,838

 

Message #2 – Additional funding must be injected into the Developmental Service Sector

  • Ten consecutive years of flat-lined base budgets, new labour legislation and unfunded pay equity obligations have resulted in the following:
    • Staff compensation rates that now seriously lag behind other sectors of the human services, namely health and education;
    • Low compensation rates compared to the Education, Health and Mental Health sectors have left the Developmental Services Sector struggling to recruit and retain qualified staff
    • Many Developmental Services organizations are now seriously considering submitting deficit budgets for the upcoming fiscal year or closing programs to address mounting financial pressures including ongoing pay equity obligations.

 

Message #3 – The government must restructure the current system for funding Residential Supports. – Needs to be rephrased for the message – CLO message read “Ending large scale residential options”

In the recent years we are seeing the development of new and innovative housing options for people.

  • Some Developmental Service agencies are working towards closing their existing group homes and to support people either living on their own and in smaller numbers. While we are not aware of any formal reviews being done the general consensus is the quality of life for people increases
  • On the other hand we have seen a resurgence of larger group settings often funding by Federal housing funding. Our most notable concerns are projects where 20 – 40 people who may have disabilities are being segregated into larger apartment or apartment like building. Sometimes to buildings may be completely occupied by people who have an intellectual disability (or mental health) and sometimes share the buildings with other groups who have disabilities, could be seniors groups, low cost housing. The point is people are not living in the community.
    • One study we read showed that the cost of one of these projects was similar in costs to a typical group home.
    • More importantly we are concerned about the slippery slope and are we as a society headed back to the days where it was okay to segregate different populations from our society.

At Community Living Mississauga we believe that all people have the right to live in our community and to participate fully in community life that these new emerging models of residential support are inconsistent with these values.

 

Message #4 – The government must address the critical situation of people waiting for residential support

There are currently more than 15,000 people who have an intellectual disability on the wait list for residential support in Ontario. Over 1000 of these people live in the Region of Peel

  • According to the Provincial data base the 2018/19 service registry included 390 people that were homeless
  • In November 2019 it was estimated that in the Region of Peel there were 29 people in danger of their families relinquishing care responsibilities (abandonment of people)
  • Every day families in Peel are going into crisis and falling apart because of inadequate funding

 

 

Local Key Messages (City Councillors, Local Businesspeople, etc)

 

Message #1 – Community Living Mississauga’s Employment Resource Centre connects employers with a vastly untapped pool of potential employees.

  • Organizations with inclusive cultures are 8 times more likely to achieve better business outcomes
  • Retention rates are 72% higher among people who have a disability

 

Message #2 – A community which is welcoming and inclusive of all people, regardless of perceived disability, race, gender or any other factor, will thrive for people and businesses.

 

Message #3 – By becoming involved with Community Living Mississauga as a member, donor or volunteer, local citizens and businesses can help meaningfully improve the lives of people who have an intellectual disability.