April 23, 1998

To:Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee

From:City Clerk

Subject:Regent Park Community Health Centre - Grants

Recommendation:

The Budget Committee on April 20, 1998, reports having received the communication (April 15, 1998) from the Executive Director, Regent Park Community Health Centre.

Background:

The Budget Committee on April 20, 1998, had before it a communication (April 15, 1998) from the Executive Director, Regent Park Community Health Centre regarding concerns about grants for services and programs in the area served by the Regent Park Community Health Centre.

City Clerk

Barbara Liddiard/rc/cp

Item No. 27

Attachment

 c.Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Chief Administrative Officer

(Letter dated April 15, 1998, addressed to the Budget Committee from the Executive Director, Regent Park Community Health Centre)

We feel that the Budget Committee and City staff have done some good work in finding savings and bringing budget pressures down for this year. We are taking this opportunity, however, to urge you in your decision-making to preserve the important programs and services which have been crucial to the community we serve in the Regent Park area.

We are very concerned with the decline in the health of the population we serve after successive years of cuts to programs, services and social assistance rates. Most of the people we serve have low incomes. Research has shown consistently that people living in poverty experience the highest burden of poor health in our society. This high burden of poor health is associated with poor housing conditions, poverty, inadequate nutrition, high un- and underemployment levels, and lack of participation in political and decision-making structures. It is not a surprise that local health statistics demonstrate that people living in the Regent and Moss Park area are among those who experience the poorest health in the City.

There are three program/service areas which we want to highlight because of their importance in preserving and enhancing the lives of the people we serve. They are the Grants, the Public Health Department and the Parks and Recreation Department

We are concerned that all grants administered by the City have been lumped together into one envelope. We are concerned that this will not allow for priority areas to be recognized in the budgeting process. Regent Park Community Health Centre does not receive money from the old Metro Community Grants program. However, we work with residents of the City of Toronto who have benefitted a great deal from the services that are funded through these grants. These programs have played a large role in preventing some of the major problems that adversely affect people=s health such as unemployment, social isolation, lack of education, lack of adequate food and shelter, stress, access to health lifestyle choices and a sense of personal and political control. By preventing health and social problems we allay the much greater health care, criminal justice and other social costs.

We understand that there are supposed to be no cuts made to grants this year. However, the $200,000 allocated to the Homeless Initiative Survival Fund is due to be cut. We find this disturbing given the crisis situation regarding homelessness in Toronto. The demands on hostels and drop-ins for people who are homeless in this City have doubled since the fall of 1995. We feel that this is not the time to be cutting funding to services for these extremely vulnerable members of the community. We have received $10,000 per year since July, 1996 from this fund. It is not very much money but it has allowed us to connect with 60 Somali-speaking men who are homeless and connect them with much needed supports. We were hoping to train some of these men to do peer education and support as a final project, something which has been very successful with other groups in this community. Without support from the Survival Fund this will not be possible and these men, isolated because of language and culture, will be further marginalized.

The supports, services and protections offered by the Public Health Department are extremely vital to the community we serve. Some of the services that we have been able to offer because of partnership with Public Health are prenatal care for 40-50 women per week, home visiting for parents of new babies, nutrition education for immigrant communities and improved tuberculosis prevention and treatment service. We rely on Public Health for dental services for children, inspection of housing and community program facilities to protect the health of tenants and community program participants, important epidemiological information for program planning and other direct community programs. In addition, the Mental Health Program has done important work with individuals in the community who have mental health problems, training other service providers to work more effectively with this population and working with local people who have been traumatized by community tragedies. Finally, over 40% of the people who come to see our dietitian do not have enough money to buy food. The Food Policy Council has done tremendous work in helping communities to increase access to food.

The Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Toronto has been an important partner with the local community in ensuring that they have access to constructive recreation activities and have acted as a positive social hub. This is particularly important because of the relative poverty in which this community lives. It prevents them from participating in the social and recreational life of the city because they cannot afford the entry fees nor the transportation. Of particular concern has been the social and physical development of the children and youth. Having parks and community recreational facilities at their easy disposal has provided local children with positive role modelling, skill development and prevention activities. Summer programs have also made it possible to hold jobs throughout the year.

A number of other areas are of great importance to the community we serve. They include housing, the impact of property tax on non-profit community agencies, the availability of affordable, safe child care, accessibility of TTC services and social services.

It is critical that equity and access be guiding principles in making budget decisions especially for grant allocations, equalizing service levels and eliminating user fees for community programs across the city. We urge Council to maintain its responsibilities as the largest employer in the city and not use Arestructuring@ and privatization as tools of permanently reducing the size and capacity of Toronto=s high quality services. We urge Council to look at long term solutions which involve reinvesting in the social infrastructure of the City. We have a choice: we can pay a little bit now or an enormous amount later in policing, tourism and health care costs, as well as the immeasurable social costs. Community health has deteriorated significantly. In making your decisions please consider the importance these programs are as an investment in the community.