Toronto Star May 16, 2005. 06:32 AM Peel social services in crisis Region's population expanding at four times national rate Funding from province has failed to keep pace, report says MIKE FUNSTON STAFF REPORTER Peel Region social agencies are caught in a "downward spiral" because provincial funding hasn't kept pace with skyrocketing growth — and the gap is widening. That's the conclusion of a report that paints a grim picture of services near the breaking point because successive provincial governments have ignored pleas to address funding inequities. Peel, with more than 1 million people, has 8.7 per cent of Ontario's population but receives only 4.4 per cent of social services funding, according to the report by the United Way, Social Planning Council of Peel, Peel Region and the Fair Share Task Force. Curiously, the report was released at a combination news conference and pep rally for 200 officials and social workers from dozens of Peel agencies, one day after a provincial budget that offered little in the way of new money for social services: a fact acknowledged at the event by Mississauga South Liberal MPP Tim Petersen. Asked why the report wasn't released well before the budget to put pressure on the government, United Way executive director Shelley White said that last Friday was the earliest date possible for all of the concerned parties to get together. There was no pressure from Liberal MPPs in Peel to delay the report until after the budget, she said. Speaking to the gathering, provincial Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar (Mississauga Centre) conceded the funding issue is a problem for Peel "and we need to do something about it," but he offered nothing concrete. Doug Martin, who has a severely disabled adult daughter, said he's "frustrated and angry about what's happened in Peel," which includes insufficient resources to help families like his. "(Premier Dalton) McGuinty has gone to Ottawa for Ontario's fair share. Why can't we in Peel have a fair share of our own tax money? We're not asking for preferential treatment, we're asking to be brought up to the provincial average. "We need a government that's capable of making the tough choices for fair and honest distribution of funds that are already in the system," Martin said. Peel's population is growing at four times the national rate, or about 30,000 people a year, according to the report. "Keeping up with growth has become virtually impossible for our agencies," said Peel social services commissioner David Szwarc. He noted there's a widespread misconception outside Peel that the region is affluent, and doesn't have homelessness and other festering problems that exist in Toronto, but he said that's not true; 115,000 people there live below the poverty line. "More than 6,000 people use Peel's largest food bank each month," he said. "People in our community cannot access services they need that are available in other communities that have less growth. "Children suffering from mental illness or developmental disabilities are on long waiting lists for treatment. There are at least 500 children waiting for mental-health services in Peel." Adding to the pressure is the soaring number of immigrants making Peel their home, fuelling the demand for services in their languages and to meet their special needs, Szwarc said. "Current funding approaches for providing social services have not responded to the profound social changes and challenges occurring in Peel," said Roland Sirois, United Way campaign chair. "Peel cannot continue to accept human suffering due to inequitable and inadequate funding and outdated public policies."