KENORA DISTRICT MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

SUBJECT:  TWOMO Funding for Kenora District Home for the Aged

SUBMITTED BY: City of Kenora

YEAR: 2025
BACKGROUND: 
There are about five district homes in the province and the municipalities in the district contribute proportionately to the costs of operating one or more homes within their respective district.
Unincorporated Territories (Territories Without Municipal Organization, or TWOMO) within the District of Kenora, pay for Integrated Social Services, including Community Housing, Early Years Services, Employment and Financial Support Services, social housing, Emergency Medical Services, Land Ambulance and Community Paramedicine services, but NOT for District Home for the Aged. 
To put into perspective, the jurisdiction the Kenora District Services Board  (KDSB) that delivers these services covers an area of over 400,000 square kilometers, equal to 38% of Ontario’s land mass. 
The 2021 census population is 66,000, including the First Nation communities not served by KDSB. The population of KDSB member communities was just over 44,030. Kenora's population distribution is 23% and the Unorganized is 11% (same distribution as City of Dryden), yet they do not contribute to the funding model at all.
The province needs to change this policy to include TWOMO in the funding support for the Home for the Aged which would reduce the support required by the City of Kenora, and other northern municipalities.

There needs to be regional variation in the PLT to have flexibility and to make funds available for publicly funded homes in the area. There currently is no mechanism to direct specific supports for tax dollars from unorganized territory to the unique needs of their unincorporated area. However, long-term care is not unique to one specific jurisdiction. That need is as simple as the support for other essential services such as public health and social services.
RECOMMENDATION:
NOW THEREFORE MAY IT BE RESOLVED THAT the Kenora District Municipal Association requests the province to change policy for provincial land tax revenues and include TWOMO in the funding support for the Home for the Aged which would reduce the support required by District of Kenora municipalities.

COMMITTEE ACTION: Moved with concurrence.