[January 15, 2025 – Guelph] – Community Living Guelph Wellington and the Provincial
Developmental Services sector are calling on the Ontario government to address severe
funding shortfalls that are impacting people with developmental disabilities. Over 52,000 people
are currently waiting for critical supports and services, and the high cost of living is making it
even more challenging for individuals to access the supports they need.

Since 1993, the Ontario government has increased core funding for support agencies by just
4%, while the cost of living has soared by over 60% during the same period.

“To stay operational, we’ve had to close 2 homes and suspend Community Participation
Services for 4 weeks last year, not to mention ongoing understaffing issues. Currently, CLGW
operates with only 63% of the positions required on our operational team. This means our staff
is working harder than ever, with 450 Direct Support Professionals supporting over 900
individuals,” states Cindy Kinnon, Executive Director of Community Living Guelph Wellington,
“We urge the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS) to fund us
properly to meet the real cost of living for each individual, ensuring everyone receives the
quality care they need.”

“If services get shut down, where will people go? will they end up on the streets or in hospitals?
our hospital system is clearly not capable of supporting people as it is. Will they end up in long-term care, where we hope to provide seniors with a decent quality of life? where will they go?,
says Jennifer S, sister of a person supported by Community Living Guelph Wellington. “There
aren’t many options, and if things continue to decline, my mom is 77, and we won’t have her
here forever. She’s not capable of taking care of my brother, John.”

More than 250,000 people in Ontario live with a developmental disability, yet over 70%
are living in poverty, and more than 50,000 are stuck on years-long waiting lists for the essential
supports they need.

Journey To Belonging: Choice and Inclusion, was started under Minister Todd Smith in 2020. It is a ten-year initiative with the goal of supporting people with developmental disabilities to have more control and opportunity in their lives. However, with over 52,000 people currently on a
waiting list for supports and services, systemic change and major increases in resources are
needed to achieve that goal. “It hasn’t been funded properly,” points out Community Living Ontario CEO Chris Beesley. “You can create a vision and be aspirational but unless you put the resources behind it, it’s meaningless.”