Organizations call on Toronto to spend $46.2M on youth programs in 2025 budget

A Toronto youth organization and two school boards are calling on city council to make young people a financial priority in the budget this year to improve their socio-economic status.

The Toronto Youth Cabinet, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) said in a joint statement this week that they want the city to invest $46.2 million in youth initiatives to address youth unemployment, food insecurity and violence.

"With escalating youth unemployment and increasing violence, the demand for robust programs and community support, particularly in underserved areas such as Scarborough and north Etobicoke, has never been more critical," the statement reads. 

"Our city's young people deserve to live and grow in communities with a bounty of opportunity rather than overwhelming poverty and violence."

According to the statement, the money should be spent on an office for youth, programs, spaces and hubs, employment initiatives, violence prevention, transitional housing, a healing project and student nutrition.

Stephen Mensah, executive director of the Toronto Youth Cabinet, TDSB chair Neethan Shan and TCDSB chair Markus de Domenico signed the statement, which was addressed to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Toronto city council.

The youth cabinet is the official youth advocacy body to the city. The TDSB and TCDSB serve about 325,000 students in Toronto.

Asked about the statement at unrelated news conference Thursday, Chow said the city has been working to create employment opportunities for young people.

"We know that young people would like to have a decent meal in school, a library that's open, but also, they want a job. The city of Toronto has been creating a lot of jobs for young people," Chow told reporters.

The city has increased its park and recreation budget by 13 per cent this year and is hiring more young people in that division. Chow said the city is also working with other employers to host youth job fairs and with the Toronto Community Housing Corporation to look for partnerships that would benefit youth. 

"We will do what we can to create as many opportunities for jobs for young people," she added.

In the statement, the three organizations say the money should be spend on the following:

• $580,000 to establish an office of youth engagement and create a youth strategy. The amount includes staffing costs for a manager and two community development officers, as well as $100,000 for community consultations, promotion and reporting.
• $17.5 million to broaden youth employment opportunities with the aim of creating jobs for more than 4,500 young people. The focus would be not only on creating job opportunities year round but also a youth employment program that would provide mentorship, skill development, and "pathways to meaningful and gainful employment." 
• $3 million to create 12 youth spaces and three youth hubs. The spaces and hubs would ensure every neighbourhood improvement area and priority neighbourhood has a dedicated space to foster safety, belonging and opportunity for young people.
• $1.5 million to increase violence prevention funding.
• $10.17 million to increase funding for youth shelter beds and transitional housing  for young people experiencing homelessness.
• $8 million for after-school programming for young people aged 11 to 18.
• $1.55 million to expand a community healing project to allow it to operate in 20 communities. The project, according to the statement, addresses the root causes of gang involvement and increases protections for youth exposed to violence.
• $3.9 million to improve student nutrition programs.

The three organizations said the request reflects the extent of the challenges faced by young people in Toronto and the importance of solutions.

"We believe this investment is not just a financial commitment but an essential step toward creating a city where every young person can thrive, responding to their challenges with compassion, solidarity, and a shared vision for a brighter, more equitable future," the statement reads.