OCSA Statement - Ontario Fall Economic Statement 2021
November 16, 2021
The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is calling on the Ford Government to do more to support the more than one million vulnerable Ontarians relying on Community Support Services after the release of last week’s Fall Economic Statement which did not provide an investment for these important services.
The Ontario Government announced an injection of $548.5 million over three years specifically for the expansion of home care services to support client’s post-hospitalization. This funding is long overdue, and more is required to ensure that critical home care services can continue.
However, home and community care services can do more. While Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes are still under tremendous pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Support Services play a critical role in providing much needed support to the health care system by preventing unnecessary hospitalizations and delaying admission into long-term care. These services include programs such as Meals on Wheels©, Adult Day Programs, Attendant Care services, assisted living and respite care that all allow vulnerable individuals to continue to live independently and safely in their homes and communities.
Like other parts of the health care system, Community Support Services have seen increased demand and increase costs due to the pandemic.
Community support services are provided by not-for-profit organizations whose mission is to support the most vulnerable in our society with services they are unable to access elsewhere. Without crucial new investments, many of these organizations will be left with financial deficits and no choice but to cut services, create waitlists or in some cases, increase client fees. OCSA urges the government to take immediate action to ensure community support providers also receive a necessary investment to continue to care for their clients, many of whom have nowhere else to turn.
The sector cannot retain and deploy adequate staff to meet the needs of clients without increased support from government - millions of Ontarians - seniors and people with disabilities across Ontario - depend on this service.
The OCSA is calling on the government to act urgently to address an impending crisis, leaving Ontarians with no support when they are most at risk. We will continue to stress to the government that without supporting the entire home and community care sector, pressure on long-term care will increase as well as the ability to clear hospital post-surgical backlogs.
About OCSA
Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) represents close to 230 not-for-profit organizations that provide home care and community support services that help seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. These compassionate and cost-effective services improve quality of life and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization. They are the key to a sustainable health care system for Ontario. For more information, visit
www.ocsa.on.ca and
https://twitter.com/OCSAtweets.
About Community Support Services
Community Support Services are an essential part of home and community care and include programs such as Meals on Wheels©, Adult Day Programs, Attendant Care services, assisted living and respite care. The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the importance of these supports, and the critical role they play in the health system.
To arrange an interview and more information please contact:
Janice Bedore
Executive Assistant
416-256-3010
1-800-267-6272, ext. 224
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Ottawa, Ontario – [January 14, 2026] — The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is calling on the provincial government to prioritize sustained investment in Home Care and Community Support Services in the 2026 Ontario Budget. Without action, seniors will lose essential services and hospital emergency rooms will face even greater pressures. Appearing today before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, OCSA CEO Lori Holloway highlighted that community-based care is a cornerstone of Ontario’s health system—keeping people healthy at home, enabling them to age with dignity and preventing unnecessary hospital and long-term care admissions. “Without new investment in Community Support Services, seniors will lose meals and personal care services, caregivers will lose day programs for their loved ones, and hospital beds will fill up as more people are stuck waiting for care that should be delivered at home,” said Holloway. OCSA represents more than 200 not-for-profit home care and community care providers across Ontario, delivering services such as high-needs home care, Meals on Wheels, assisted living, transportation to medical appointments, adult day programs for people living with dementia, and respite supports for caregivers. While the province has made recent investments in home care expansion, OCSA emphasized that these gains are fragile if the community supports that enable people to remain safely at home are allowed to erode. Community Support Services account for less than two per cent of Ontario’s total health budget, yet received no funding increase in Budget 2025 . As a result, many providers are already planning service reductions or facing difficult decisions, including reducing meal delivery routes, limiting day programs and respite services, scaling back transportation programs, and closing adult day programs for part of the week. In turn, service reductions will place additional strain on working caregivers, 69% of whom are experiencing burnout and nearly half of whom are considering leaving the workforce to care for their loved ones. “These are not abstract risks,” Holloway said. “They are real service reductions being planned right now in communities across the province.” When community supports are unavailable, patients end up in hospital and/or remain in hospital beds longer—not because they need acute care, but because the services required for safe discharge do not exist. A hospital Alternate Level of Care (ALC) bed costs approximately $730 per day , compared to $103 per day for home and community care. Ontario’s aging demographics make the issue increasingly urgent. Nearly one in five Ontarians is now over the age of 65 , and the senior population is expected to grow significantly over the next decade. OCSA is urging the government to immediately: Sustain home care through a renewed multi-year investment of $442 million investment annually, and predictable funding; Invest $150 million annually to stabilize Community Support Services and prevent service cuts; and Address workforce shortages by closing the wage gap facing community health workers, who earn 23 to 46 per cent less than their hospital counterparts. “Ontario cannot build its way out of an aging population with hospitals and long-term care beds alone,” Holloway said. “Care delivered at home and in the community is where people want to be, and it is the most cost-effective and compassionate approach for the health system.” About the Ontario Community Support Association The Ontario Community Support Association represents more than 200 not-for-profit organizations providing home care and community support services across the province. OCSA members deliver essential services that help people live independently, age at home, and reduce pressure on hospitals and long-term care. For more information visit www.ocsa.on.ca or @OCSATweets For media inquiries please contact: Karla Sealy (she/her) Manager of Communications 416-256-3010/1-800-267-6272, ext 242 karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) welcomes the Government of Ontario’s announcement in the 2025 Fall Economic Statement of a $1.1 billion investment to protect and expand home care services. This significant commitment demonstrates government’s recognition of the vital role that home and community care plays in the province’s healthcare system. “The Ontario Community Support Association welcomes this significant investment in home care. Previous funding commitments have helped stabilize the sector, supporting a measurable reduction in staff turnover and fewer missed care visits. These improvements mean more Ontarians are receiving the care they need, when and where they need it. We encourage the government to continue to invest in programs like Hospital to Home and organizations that bring together home care, community support, and independent living services, which are essential to building a system that keeps people healthy, connected, and cared for at home.” — Lori Holloway, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Community Support Association As the province looks ahead, OCSA stands ready to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and system partners to advance innovative models that integrate home care, community support, and independent living services. Together, these efforts will help build a sustainable, connected system that keeps people healthy and cared for at home. About the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) OCSA represents the full spectrum of organizations that deliver home and community support services across Ontario, helping people live independently and with dignity where they want to be—at home. Through advocacy, research, and member collaboration, OCSA works to strengthen the sector and build a more connected, person-centered health system. Media Contact: Karla Sealy Ontario Community Support Association Email: karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca Website: www.ocsa.on.ca
With Ontario’s senior population expected to nearly double by 2046, the need for coordinated, community-based care has never been more urgent. OCSA’s latest policy paper outlines a practical roadmap for scaling Healthy Ageing Community Hubs—integrated models that deliver health, social, and housing supports to help older adults age safely at home. The paper identifies six key policy recommendations: integrated and flexible funding, expansion of existing models, streamlined regulation, digital health integration, empowered local leadership, and province-wide service mapping. These hubs are already demonstrating improved outcomes—from reduced hospital use to higher client satisfaction—but scaling them requires system-level action. This paper is a call to policymakers, health system leaders, and community organizations to build on what works.
