Empower Simcoe closes group homes

Shawn Ladoceur is one of several individuals with intellectual disabilities who lived at one of two group homes that were recently closed by the not-for-profit organization due to a lack of provincial funding.

"You have to move everything out, and it kind of makes me sad," said Ladoceur.

A shared sentiment for those at the organization is that as the price of living goes up, their funding has not kept up, leading to the closure of a group home in Barrie and Orillia. 

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Between 2024 and 2025, the organization is anticipated to receive a 2 percent increase in funding of roughly 39 million dollars, a number that its CEO, Dr. Claudine Cousins, says is unacceptable.

"In order for us to do what the ministry expects, we have to submit a balanced budget every year, so if you give us a dollar - we have to spend a dollar and if costs of living takes 30 cents from that dollar, that means we can only deliver 70 percent worth of service so that means we have to cut back," said Cousins. 

Cousins says to maintain services and its current 42 group homes that house 160 people in Simcoe County, the organization would need, at minimum, an increase of 5 percent. 

"That is the difference, just to keep us to survive but not even to get us to a place where we can say that we are out of the woods," she added.

In a statement to CTV News, Michael Parsa, the Ontario Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, stated: "Through Budget 2024, our government is investing $310 million over three years to address operational costs for community organizations, including Empower Simcoe. These funds will be annualized in agency contracts and should be considered ongoing base funding increases. From that funding, approximately $90 million will go into the developmental services sector this year."

There was, however, no mention of how that money would be distributed and how many agencies would receive funds. 

Empower Simcoe says board members will meet in the next few weeks to discuss what to do with the now-empty properties in Barrie and Orillia.

In the meantime, they say their focus continues to be on supporting those who continue to utilize their services here in the community.