The head of Community Living in Sarnia-Lambton is asking for help advocating for more provincial funding, amid lengthy waits for some services the agency provides to people with developmental disabilities.
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In Sarnia-Lambton, there’s a 226-person waiting list for residential care spots in the agency’s 16 congregate living homes, nearly 300 people waiting for supports with more independent living, and another 250 in line for Community Living officials to help them with tasks while working, or engaging in recreational activities, said executive director Corry Thomas.
“We have local residents who have had to drop out of the workforce in order to support a family member with an intellectual disability” because they can’t get the support they need, he said.
The cost to support people is increasing, he said, noting clients are aging and their needs are becoming more complex.
Meanwhile, funding hasn’t come close to keeping pace with demand, he said, pegging the agency’s nearly $13-million in Community and Social Services Ministry funding at an overall six to seven per cent increase compared to what it was more than three decades ago .
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The agency, with nearly 300 employees caring for about 450 individuals and families a year, covers the rest of its more than $18 million in annual expenses through fees and from donations, he said.
“We’re looking for some systemic change in budget increases that will help to maintain the care we are providing, but also address the significant number of folks on wait lists,” Thomas said.
More up-front supports save costs later, he said, noting the Sarnia-Lambton push for more funding is part of a broader provincial effort.
An estimated 52,000 people are waiting for “lifeline” support services across Ontario, and the waits are getting longer, officials said in a news release.
People with developmental disabilities without supports also are more likely to be hospitalized repeatedly, and to end up in long-term care early, age “40 sometimes,” Thomas said.
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Hospital and long-term care home stays are more costly to taxpayers than the congregation care, respite support and other community supports Community Living provides, he said, adding Community Living supports also help keep people in the community.
The broader support service system, meanwhile, has deteriorated in recent years, officials said in the news release.
A recent Financial Accountability Office of Ontario report found the system is housing five per hundred fewer people than it did in 2018, while the waiting list has grown by 55 per cent, officials said.
Thomas asked people to visit ontario.ca/form/survey-2025-budget-consultations to help inform provincial budget discussions.
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