BRAMPTON, ON. (Mar. 25, 2008) – Region of Peel Chair Emil Kolb commended investments in poverty supports, infrastructure, skills training and emergency room wait time reductions announced in the 2008 Ontario budget today.

 “Investments in people are what Peel needs now,” said Kolb.  “We are encouraged that the Ontario budget includes a plan for investing in supports that help reduce the Region’s and the community’s initiatives to reduce poverty.” 

Peel will share in the Province’s new funding for school nutrition programs, dental care for low-income earners and social housing repairs. As well, Peel’s most vulnerable residents will get further help with increased funding for Ontario 211, the telephone hotline that helps access social service programs.

 “We applaud the provincial government for addressing some important initiatives to reduce poverty including the $5.5 million that Peel will receive to help repair aging social housing stock as well as funds for dental care to low-income earners, and nutrition programs for children,” stated Councillor Carolyn Parrish, Chair of Peel’s Government Relations Committee.  “It is a good start, however, there is a substantial gap that needs to be addressed overall to assist Ontarians who call Peel home.”

Currently, Peel provides funding for over 13,800 assisted housing units.  More than 14,000 families in Peel Region are on a waiting list for affordable housing. If these families were to wait based on Peel’s capacity to offer them assisted housing, they’d wait for 21 years or so.  Seniors would wait for up to seven years.

“The cost of affordable housing is bigger than any one government can afford, therefore a partnership approach is needed, one that involves working closely with the provincial and federal governments,” said Kolb. He added, “At the same time, we are encouraged that the provincial government is investing in the housing stock they helped communities like Peel build over the last three decades.”

“Peel is experiencing other pressures in trying to meet the needs of its rapidly rising numbers of new residents including hospital emergency room wait times and transportation gridlock. We welcome the Province’s investment in addressing both these critical areas,” added Parrish.

Peel is the new face of Ontario with approximately 24,000 new residents settling in the Region each year. About 20,000 of those new residents are expected to be newcomers to Canada who choose Peel as their new home every year.                                                                                                                                                                         

The Regional Municipality of Peel was incorporated in 1974 on the principle that certain community and infrastructure services are most cost-effectively administered over a larger geographic area. The Region of Peel serves more than one million residents (nearly 10% of Ontario’s population) in the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton and the Town of Caledon.

For more information on the Region of Peel, please call 905-791-7800, or visit our website at www.peelregion.ca

Released by the Region of Peel on March 26, 2008 at 9:34