Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to present to the Standing Committee on Health. And good afternoon to members of the committee.
My name is Nancy Polsinelli, and I am the interim CAO for the Region of Peel, which I will refer to in my presentation as “the region”. The region is an upper-tier municipal government providing services across the geographic area of Peel in Ontario. Peel is made up of our partner communities Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga. Peel is home to approximately 1.5 million people and over 175,000 businesses. The region delivers health, human services and public works across Peel.
COVID has brought unprecedented economic, social and health impacts for all Canadians, including those living and working in Peel. The social impacts are highest among the most vulnerable and marginalized in our community, as you heard from the witnesses this evening. This can be the result of social isolation, inadequate housing, loss of jobs or food insecurity. As I am sure this committee has previously heard, these social determinants impact personal health.
One of the most challenging social determinants of health in a pandemic is homelessness. Approximately 4,000 homeless people live in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga, based on a point-in-time survey done by the region in 2018, so it's already outdated.
When the crisis began, homeless residents in shelters were offered hotels to encourage physical distancing. We acted quickly on that. About 50% of homeless residents now reside in hotels across Peel.
We rapidly scaled up testing at the sites where the region and its partners were offering services, with the region's paramedics assisting. The region's public health staff ensured shelters and other services were operating safely. An isolation program provides shelter for those who have risk factors for COVID-19 exposure or have been tested but who can't self-isolate. Those who test positive are provided with a secure, safe place for recovery and support.
Let me share one person's story; it shows how interconnected challenges can be in a pandemic. For the sake of privacy, I'm changing the name, but this is a true story. Donovan is 20 years old and he is definitely a front-line hero. He works as a cleaner in one of the 28 long-term care homes located in Peel. The region itself operates five municipal long-term care homes, but Donovan does not work in one of our homes. Although Donovan works full time, he finds it difficult to afford housing in Peel, where nearly 70% of low-income households live in unaffordable housing. While supporting the comfort and care of seniors in a home that is facing chronic COVID outbreaks, Donovan himself was going to sleep at night in a local shelter for young people.
Unfortunately, he tested positive for COVID-19. Donovan was immediately connected to our recovery program for the homeless where he can have the proper care, space and peace of mind to recover. Of course, Donovan had contact with other shelter staff; 13 of this staff are now in temporary self-isolation hotel spaces for essential workers. But this is not the end of Donovan's story.
The region's recovery program provides more than a self-isolation space. Once someone like Donovan is introduced to our program, all of their immediate acute-care needs are met. Donovan will see a physician, a nurse practitioner, and have access to 24-7 nursing care on site. The region will also provide additional health and social services support to provide a path to long-term housing, health and well-being. It truly is a wraparound service. For example, Donovan may be connected to primary care that he can continue using after isolation.
As we meet immediate needs in the COVID crisis, we are also addressing other health issues and seeking permanent housing for homeless clients. To do this, the region mobilized non-profits, community agencies, the region's paramedics and public health experts and health care providers.
COVID has called on communities to partner and collaborate on a whole new level. Another example of this collaboration is the Region of Peel's community response table. The response table addresses a broad range of needs, such as poverty, food insecurity, isolation, domestic violence, racism and mental health.
In the early weeks of the crisis, the region sent a survey to community agencies. We wanted to know what was keeping them up at night. The survey found, among other things, that 57% of those surveyed were facing immediate program closures. Like other organizations, not-for-profits needed support to adapt to the crisis so they could support the community.
The region's council approved over $1 million in funding to provide one-time grants to Peel community agencies that support the most vulnerable. In addition to financial support, the community response table helps providers find strength in numbers. It's made up of people from the region's human and health services departments, representatives from our partner communities and leaders from over 90 community agencies across Peel. The virtual table meets twice per week and it has self-organized even further to create task groups that address family violence, the needs of seniors and youth, and systemic discrimination.
The pandemic has called for us to locally develop solutions through innovation and partnerships. Beyond the immediate crisis, the community response table can be a continuing force for positive change in Peel through the recovery and beyond.
As the communities across Canada have found, seniors in long-term care are among the most vulnerable in the pandemic. As I mentioned, the region operates five long-term care homes, and there are 23 additional homes within Peel. To address the needs of these vulnerable residents, we also participate, as a region, in an integrated response table. This includes Ontario health partners, local hospitals, and the region's own public health, long-term care and paramedic services. This work features a rapid-response testing strategy in long-term care homes, in at-risk retirement homes, in shelters and in group homes. They have done over 8,400 tests for residents and staff beyond the amount the homes themselves have tested.
COVID-19 is also amplifying system pressures for mental health and addictions services. In the pandemic, many programs have been put on hold. Wait-lists are growing. This is unsustainable over the longer term. There is, and will be, a human and community cost. Before the pandemic, the region had created a community safety and well-being action table. It's this group that is helping to coordinate community partners as we mitigate mental health crisis situations and strengthen system navigation with local services.
In closing, municipalities like the region are on the front lines working to protect our residents, including the vulnerable. Every day we see opportunities to do more. We're committed to working with our provincial and federal partners to ensure a strong crisis response and gradual, careful recovery.
The pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that called for new forms of partnership. I'm proud to say that the region has done that work.
I hope that the members of this committee will see that the partnerships that municipalities have developed to help the vulnerable during the crisis should be maintained and even expanded. There is opportunity here. As senior governments seek to target human needs, it's these networks that can help to ensure that investments reach the most in need and support strong community recovery. There is great value and opportunity in having the federal government investing strategically with municipalities.
I want to thank you for your time today. We look forward to working with you to support Peel's diverse and growing community.
Thank you.