Province reaffirms partnership with municipal governments at AMO conference
Posted in: News Item
Date Posted: 2021-08-19
Organization Name: Government of Ontario
The Ontario government reaffirmed its commitment to work in partnership with municipalities to strengthen communities and support vital public services during the virtual 2021 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference this week.
Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark and Ministers, Associate Ministers, and Parliamentary Assistants held virtual meetings with hundreds of municipal officials. They discussed key issues including housing affordability, broadband expansion, and how the province will continue to support municipalities and keep communities safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Continuing our strong, collaborative partnerships with municipalities is a priority for our government,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “I want to thank all our municipal partners for everything they continue to do to keep Ontarians safe. We are proud to support municipalities by ensuring they have the resources they need to build strong, resilient communities.”
Investing in Local Public Services
During the conference, Clark announced that Ontario plans to invest nearly $1.1 billion to enhance the province’s housing programs and support homeless populations in 2022-23. In addition, he announced additional funding under the Social Services Relief Fund for a total support to communities of over $1 billion in 2020-2021.
Clark also announced that Ontario is providing more than $57 million to launch a third intake of the Municipal Modernization Program and Audit and Accountability Fund, building on the previous success of these programs. By providing funding to municipalities to identify and implement projects that modernize, digitize, and improve local services, Ontario is making life more convenient and affordable for families and businesses.
Supporting Public Health Units
Ontario’s public health system has demonstrated remarkable responsiveness to COVID-19 and the government acknowledges the extraordinary and continuing efforts of the public health sector to stop the spread of COVID-19 as well as support the roll-out of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
To further support public health units as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government is investing approximately $47 million to extend one-time mitigation funding through 2022. This funding will provide continued support for public health units and municipalities beyond the funding approved in previous years and will ensure that they have the financial stability needed to protect communities across the province and deliver key services. This funding is in addition to the increased investments to support the public health sector’s response to COVID-19.
“Throughout the pandemic, Ontario’s municipalities and public health units have been on the frontlines of Ontario’s pandemic response,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “To ensure that our communities are prepared to respond to any scenario as we head into the fall, our government is providing public health units with one-time mitigation funding so they can continue delivering key services to protect the health and safety of residents.”