The provincial government will be providing an additional $40 million to increase services and capacity for individuals living with developmental disabilities, Premier Christy Clark announced Jan. 19.
"British Columbians with developmental disabilities and their families can have confidence that their government has listened," Clark said.
The announcement came after a controversial year that saw group homes being closed in favour of cheaper living arrangements.
By paying households to care for those with disabilities, it was felt that money could be saved for people on the wait list for services.
But critics of this strategy pointed to the lack of permanence in living arrangements, the uprooting of existing households and a detachment between government policy and the needs of those using the services.
"In order to succeed as we move forward, we need to recommit ourselves to moving forward together," said Minister of Social Development Stephanie Cadieux.
The opposition's community living critic, Sunshine Coast - Powell River MLA Nicholas Simons, welcomed the announcement.
"They recognize that action needs to be taken. Whether or not that's sufficient action in terms of funding allocation remains to be seen," Simons said.
Alongside the new spending, the government also released an internal audit and a Deputy Ministers' review of the program.
Chief among the review's recommendations were calls for more consistency in levels of support for families, better identification of individual needs, improved employment services and more accurate tracking of demand.
Of the $40 million allocated for the coming fiscal year, $18 million has been marked for Community Living British Columbia directly, while $12 million was set aside to help with case loads and continuing transitions into the program.
Another $10 million will be budgeted to help improve employment services.
By comparison, the cost of housing four people in a staffed residence can be approximately $200,000 per year.
More details on the funding will be made available in February when the government brings forward its next budget.
"The grassroots advocates are saying it's not going to be enough. That it's a band-aid," Simons said.
The MLA was highly critical of the attempts to close group homes and transition to living arrangements, pointing to an inconsistent quality of care across care homes that he said were sometimes recruited through Internet classifieds like Craigslist.
"Probably the most significant sort of eyebrow raiser is the fact that they still haven't got a clue about the number of people waiting for services," Simons said.
As the executive director of the Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living (SCACL), Glen McClughan said his organization has succeeded in avoiding a "culture of dependence."
Through various changes in government mentality over the years, McClughan said the key to his organization's success has been promoting a sense of community within its ranks.
One way SCACL does this is by hosting programs that can exist without direct government support, like lunches and music programs and offering a place for families to get the advice they need.
"I think the situation on the Sunshine Coast is a much happier one. I know some of my colleagues in the larger centres around the province have experienced a lot more difficulty than we have," McClughan said.
