Per Diems for RCF Increased, Funded Spaces Decreased to Maintain Budget.

Joey Coleman By , Editor |

Dan Jelly/Used with Permission

Hamilton, Ontario looking west from Upper Stoney Creek.

This article is updated and corrected, see note at end.
In 2015, the City is increasing increased the per diem for its subsidized residential care facilities (RCFs) from $48.25 to $50, and scaling back the number of subsidies to afford the increase without increasing the overall budget in 2016.
The City will now fund 740 spaces instead of the previous 765 spaces
The per diem was increased starting two years ago in response to RCF operators saying the previous rate of $47.75 was not sufficient to cover the cost of providing city mandated servicess.
During the January 18, 2016, Emergency and Community Services meeting, Councillors heard a delegation from Calvin Cain of the Ontario Homes for Special Needs Association who expressed concern about the impact of decreasing the number of subsidized spaces funded by the City.
Councillors heard the delegation, discussed the background of the funding change, and noted they are calling on the province to increase funding for RCFs spaces.
The decision needs to be officially ratified by Council at Wednesday’s full Council meeting.
CORRECTION: The increase was already approved. The report at this meeting was information for Council. It was received with no amendments.

0 thoughts on “Per Diems for RCF Increased, Funded Spaces Decreased to Maintain Budget.”

  1. There was never any mention or approval from Council in 2015 to decrease the number of spaces to 740 effective 2016. And it still appears that Council hasn’t approved the decrease unless they did during this meeting?. The only record is in regards to increasing the per diem rate. Back in 2015, The minutes re report CES15007 state: 5. 2015 Increase to Domiciliary Hostel Program Per Diem Rate (CES15007)
    (City Wide) (Item 7.2)
    (Green/Farr)
    That effective April 1, 2015, the per diem rate paid to Residential Care Facility
    Operators through the Domiciliary Hostel Program be increased from $48.25 to
    $50 to be funded from the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative
    funding.
    CARRIED