EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park.
“We’re investing in that — an unprecedented amount of money — and our goal is always to make sure we house as many people as possible.” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said her party’s housing plan would see the province building more supportive housing. Green Leader Mike Schreiner said the shortage is due to the government’s underfunding of service agencies that provide supportive housing.
Core clinical services are a cornerstone of the OAP and include applied behaviour analysis, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, mental health services and technology, such as therapy equipment. Funding for core services ranges from $6,600 to $65,000 depending on a child's age and their level of need.
Another $255 million — which is how much the FAO estimated would be spent on other services with a $600 million annual budget — if added, would amount to $935 million. The FAO expects the cost of delivering those social programs to rise to $21.8 billion by 2026-27, but the province is planning to flatline spending at $20.1 billion, the FAO found.