Information Alert
 
July 15, 2014
2014 Provincial Budget Reintroduced

On July 14, 2014, the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Charles Sousa, reintroduced the provincial budget. First introduced on May 1, 2014, the same budget triggered the dissolution of the legislature and the recent provincial election.

 

The budget, as reintroduced, contains the same spending commitments and areas of interest to OMSSA and its member delegates as the budget introduced in May.

 

This includes a number of good news pieces for OMSSA member delegates including:

 

  • The $42m Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) mitigation funding will become permanent bringing the total CHPI funding to $294m annually.

  • Under the Poverty Reduction Strategy, $50m over 5 years will be dedicated to creating a new poverty reduction fund that will focus on local solutions to local issues.

 

OMSSA was pleased to see that the $42m mitigation funding has been made permanent in CHPI. This is an important development in supporting OMSSA member delegates in their efforts to prevent homelessness.

 

A number of budget items, while reflecting the government's commitment to transform aspects of social assistance, are less clear in their implications. These include:

 

  • Integration of seven separate employment benefits into a consolidated benefit structure within both the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW).

  • The role of integrated employment programs and services in assisting social assistance recipients.

 

In his speech yesterday, the Minister reiterated the government's commitment to the full introduction of full day kindergarten and to reform the social assistance system to improve income supports and reduce barriers to employment.

 

How the government intends to implement the budget commitments specific to social assistance and employment reform are not yet known.

 

OMSSA will be seeking clarification on this as well as next steps in the allocation of the $42m in CHPI funding.

 

Analysis on the budget commitments will continue and we will provide updates as relevant information emerges.

 

To see OMSSA's review of the budget from May 2014 please click here: Budget 2014

 

For information on commitments made during the election campaign click here.

 

OMSSA Contact:
Petra Wolfbeiss, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at pwolfbeiss@omssa.com,    416-479-8254