Since 2001 the per capita funding gap for GTA/905 residents' Developmental Services has increased from $35 to $50 in 2006. This per capita is half the provincial average of $101 per person with a developmental challenge. These services include day programs, respite care, in home support and residential programs. This means that the annual funding gap for these services has grown from $94.8 million below the provincial average in 2001 to $163.7 million below as of 2006 - an increase of $68.9 million since 2001 or 73 per cent. Although the province has invested considerable additional funding in this area in the 2007 budget, the funding inequity and the long waiting lists for services in the GTA/905 were not addressed as the priority was much needed salary increases for all staff serving this population across the province. This underlines the importance of the need for growth funding and a population-needs-based funding formula as per the recommendations of the Strong Communities Coalition.

Services provided in GTA/905 hospitals include: emergency department care and treatment, complex continuing care, cancer care, cardiac care, obstetrics, paediatrics, hip and knee replacements, diagnostic services (MRI/CT scans), laboratory services, intensive care units and critical care, acute care, general and specialized surgery, mental health services, day surgery, rehabilitation care, pharmacy

While the need for hospital growth funding was acknowledged by the Government in 2006/07, the $23 million provided to GTA/905 hospitals while helpful, did not have an impact on reducing the funding gap. GTA/905 hospitals have yet to receive any growth funding for 2007/08 resulting in the funding gap widening ever further.

• There are longer waiting times for health and social services in the GTA/905.
• GTA/905 residents often have to leave their communities (support of family and friends) to get services.
• In many cases, residents are going without needed services and require more costly services later on when their circumstances spiral out of control.
  
  

By addressing the funding inequity, access to services will be improved and that means:

• Fewer problems spiralling out of control and requiring more costly interventions by the health care, child welfare and criminal justice systems.
• Allows GTA/905 residents to contribute more fully to the Ontario economy, boosting the tax revenues for all Ontarians.
• Ensures that the Ontario Government's Places to Grow plan fulfills its potential and maximizes the economic growth of the GTA/905.

By addressing the funding inequity, access to services will be improved and that means:

• Fewer problems spiralling out of control and requiring more costly interventions by the health care, child welfare and criminal justice systems.
• Allows GTA/905 residents to contribute more fully to the Ontario economy, boosting the tax revenues for all Ontarians.
• Ensures that the Ontario Government's Places to Grow plan fulfills its potential and maximizes the economic growth of the GTA/905.
  
  

The Coalition was created to speak out about the need to improve local and timely access to health and social services for the three million residents of Durham, Halton, Peel and York by encouraging the Province of Ontario to provide growth funding for health and social services in the GTA/905 and by revising the way provincial funds are allocated so that funds are allocated on the basis of population size, growth and characteristics.

The mandate of the coalition is to advocate for equitable and sustainable funding policies and formulae for health and social services in the GTA/905 communities.

The GTA/905 Region (Durham, Halton, Peel and York) is the fastest growing region in Ontario and North America.

Containing a quarter of Ontario's population, between 1996 and 2004, the GTA/905 grew by more than 100,000 residents each year - (the equivalent of adding all residents of the City of Kingston to the GTA/905 each year). Growing almost three times faster than Ontario as a whole, the GTA/905 represents more than half the annual population growth in Ontario. This growth is expected to continue into the future with the GTA/905 growing at more than twice the provincial rate.

In addition to growing at a faster rate than the rest of the province, the GTA/905 is also aging at twice the rate of the province as a whole. Not only growing and aging, the GTA/905 is also becoming more culturally and socio-economically diverse. Some parts of the GTA/905 have the highest rate of growth in the country for new immigrants.

In the face of rapid and sustained population growth, and given the increasing cultural and socio-economic diversity, meeting the social service and health care needs of GTA/905 residents has been a challenge due to one factor in particular - the fact that provincial funding for social services and health care services has not kept pace with population growth in the region.

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