Community Living Greater Sudbury says it needs a 5% funding increase to survive

The executive director of Community Living Greater Sudbury says she's not sure how the agency will continue to afford the diapers, liners, wipes and gloves that their clients need.

Sherry Salo says those are just some expenses that are constantly being juggled as the non-profit deals with a budget that has only grown four per cent in 30 years.

It operates independently but relies on funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Community Living Greater Sudbury provides services to about 100 clients with developmental disabilities or mental health issues; 60 of them are in various residential care options with staff supporting others in their homes.

The agency also offers skills training and day support, employing 230 people.

Their budget sits at $16 million.

Salo said the grocery costs alone are huge.

"We're constantly working with companies and to be able to get better agreements, reduced costs to manage." 

Inflation has pushed transportation costs, especially fuel, to new heights, meaning the 12 vehicles in their fleet are used only for essential trips to the grocery store and medical appointments.

Salo said that's too bad considering van trips are a form of socializing for many clients and reducing trips cuts into their quality of life.

She said the cost of things like snow removal, utilities and insurance continues to rise.

However, she stops short of saying services will have to be cut.

Wait-list increases as system at capacity

"We are not in debt," she said. "We are meeting the needs. We just can't do anything more. We can't take anyone off the waiting list and we can't put money towards the more quality aspects of life because it's based on providing that core service."

Salo said the wait-list sits at about 200 people.

Kevin Cooper is executive director of the Sudbury Community Services Centre, which helps match people on the wait-list with services and supports at various groups, including Community Living Greater Sudbury.

He said a lack of funding prevents adults from finding services to meet their needs.

"There is actually no additional money or contingency funding available for many people who are actually over the age of 18 who go into crisis, who require additional supports such as residential supports," he said. "So basically we have to try and make do with what we have for the most part, unless a vacancy becomes available within the system itself."

Since that does not happen often, Cooper said. people can end up in shelters or stuck in hospital settings.

The New Democrat MPP for Sudbury, Jamie West, said the system is at a standstill for lack of funding.

"It's getting to the point where we've cut through the fat, we've cut through the muscle, we're cutting into the bone now into the marrow where they're going to start removing services available for current clients," he said. "That's not something we can accept in our community. We're Ontario, right? This is not who we are as Canadians."

West is endorsing the call from the sector that provides support for the developmentally disabled for a five per cent increase to their budgets.

He said that's a fair amount to ask for and would be easy for the Conservative government to slip into its budget slated for the spring.

As well, he is advocating for a task force to examine the funding issues, and how to recruit and retain workers in the sector.

In response, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services provided a statement:

"Agencies and their staff are important partners and the ministry is working with them to identify and manage service pressures. In 2023–24, we are investing approximately $3.7 billion in the developmental services and vulnerable population sector — an increase of $941 million since 2018-2019," it said.

The ministry also said it continues to move ahead with immediate actions to improve current services and supports.