January 26th, 2026
A Call for Action on Developmental Services Supports
By: Allan Mills, Executive Director
On January 20th, I had the opportunity to present to our provincial government’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs as part of their pre-budget consultation. My priorities were to represent a common message that has been honed by CLO (Community Living Ontario) and OASIS (Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs) and to share a heartfelt letter from a parent who has been waiting for years for residential support for her son.
Here are some of the key points and recommendations I shared:
1. Over the past eight years, the residential waiting list across the province has grown by 10,000 people while service capacity has been reduced by 1,000 due to cost pressures and flatlined funding. The province has invested no funding to address the growing waitlist. Increase funding by 5% to expand capacity to address the growing waitlist ($186 million).
2. As a representative of a member agency of CLO, I highlighted two points:
- Increase annualized base funding by 3% ($112 million)
- Provide full Passport program funding allocations over the next five years ($57 million in 2026-2027)
$5,500 per year is the base for Passport funding ($98 per week does not pay for meaningful support) while people wait for years for their assessed level of funding.
3. Our Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments are well below the poverty line. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Kitchener is $1,750, while the maximum monthly ODSP payment to a single person is $1,408, which is intended to cover basic needs (food, clothing, personal items) and shelter (rent, utilities) but is less than a rent payment. We need to see a $900 per month increase.
My recommendation is that the province work with the Federal Government (Canada Disability Benefit) with each level of government responsible for $450 or half of what is needed to close the gap.
Several Committee Members shared how much the family letter resonated for them. They have heard similar stories in their own ridings. They have also heard similar messages across the province as part of this pre-budget consultation, including awareness of CLO’s excellent Catch Them Before They Fall pre-budget submission.
Let’s keep these issues in front of our provincial government as they make financial decisions for the year ahead. Shoutout to Kitchener MPP, Aislinn Clancy, for her comments and questions, and to Waterloo MPP, Catherine Fife, who listened intently to this parent two weeks ago, and encouraged us to present to this committee. Thank you to OASIS and to CLO for equipping their members with essential data.
I encourage you to tune in to CBC Radio One (89.1FM) and The Mike Farwell Show on 570 News tomorrow morning, Tuesday January 27, to learn more about #WaitingToBelong, hear from Ann Bilodeau of KW Habilitation along with the mother of a daughter with a profound disability who has been waiting years for critical supports and services.
CBC Radio One (89.1FM): January 27 at 7:50 a.m.
The Mike Farwell Show (570 News): January 27 at 11:45 a.m.
The #WaitingToBelong petition is collecting signatures. If you would like to be part of the call for change, you can sign the petition here.
