QUEEN’S PARK – Following reports of facilities with horrific living conditions, NDP MPP Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) re-tabled his bill to regulate supportive living homes and ensure quality care for vulnerable Ontarians with complex care needs.
Recent reporting has revealed residents in some homes have suffered from a lack of food, persistent cockroach and bedbug infestations, piles of garbage, and mouldy infrastructure.
“No vulnerable person should be left in horrifying living conditions that leave them hungry and surrounded by pests. Supportive living homes remain alarmingly unregulated, and this lets bad actors get away with creating utterly inhumane conditions with no minimum standard of care,” said Burch. “We can fix this problem and ensure that supportive living accommodations are always a safe option for people who need help to live independently by regulating the sector. By passing my bill, we can ensure that supportive living facilities are truly a home for residents.”
Supportive care living homes provide critical help for some of the most vulnerable people in our province. When Ontarians have a loved one with dementia or complex mental and physical health needs, they count on supportive living homes to provide an extra level of care.
“It is our obligation to put a stop to inhumane conditions and ensure supportive living is always there when people need it," said Burch. "I urge the government to make good on their promise and take action to ensure that the health and safety of residents in supportive living are protected.”
Burch’s private member’s bill received all-party support in 2018, but the Ford government refused to prioritize making it law. If passed, the bill will create a framework for inspection and complaint protocols, introduce new safeguards to protect residents, and make failure to have a license a punishable offence with fines of up to $1,000 per day.