ALIGN - FEDERAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
April 20, 2021
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The federal budget laid out a series of measures that will support the nation’s charities, nonprofits and social entrepreneurs in what may be an unprecedented show of recognition for our sector by the federal government. The extension of the major emergency supports as well as a number of targeted measures for charities and nonprofits will provide much needed aid to the sector. Although charities and nonprofits were cited as partners in recovery, some of the sector’s key priorities were omitted from the budget…
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The 2021 federal budget will continue economic support for businesses and individuals through the summer with a roadmap to wind them down later in the year as more Canadians are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The announcement of a Community Services Recovery Fund in the form of $400 million is a welcome acknowledgement that organizations need core operating support…
OTTAWA, ON (April 19, 2021) – At the onset of the pandemic, the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) commended the Government of Canada for pulling together immediate emergency economic supports. However, as this pandemic continues, the inadequacy of our social safety net is painfully exposed. Consequently, CASW is deeply disappointed that the 2021 Federal Budget lacks the vision, urgency, and innovation required to truly shift Canada towards social and economic equality.
In light of the federal government’s tabling of the 2021 Budget, Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC) appreciates the Government of Canada’s efforts to balance addressing the urgent and immediate needs exacted by the pandemic with planning and building for a better future…
Today’s federal budget is historic. BGC Canada applauds the funding in Budget 2021 that will have a significant impact on young people and their families, including a national child care program for early years and school-aged children, stronger focus on youth employment and mental health, funding for after-school and STEM programs, and an extension of pandemic relief programs.We are also thrilled to see that the federal government has responded to our sector’s call-to-action by creating a $400 million temporary Community Services Recovery Fund to help charities and nonprofits, including our Clubs, adapt and modernize so we can better support economic recovery in communities across the country…
$100 million over three years for innovative mental health interventions for populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including health-care workers, front-line workers, youth, seniors, Indigenous people, and racialized and Black Canadians.
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BUDGET 2021 & AFFORDABLE HOUSING |
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The new budget includes nearly $2.5-billion in new funding for affordable housing and accelerates the spending of $1.3-billion in previously announced cash. But the plans still fall short of the ambitions outlined by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.Before the budget, FCM had asked Ottawa to ramp up its $1-billion Rapid Housing Initiative, into a $7-billion program. However, Monday’s budget includes just another $1.5-billion for the next round of the initiative, which provides cash to municipalities to fast-track quick-build “modular” affordable housing projects.
In the first budget in more than two years, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland refreshed the Liberals’ 10-year, $70-billion housing strategy with an additional $2.5-billion commitment. Some 60 per cent of that will go toward construction of at least 4,500 new units under the Rapid Housing Initiative, which seeks to provide vulnerable Canadians with affordable homes.
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BUDGET 2021 & BLACK CANADIANS |
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Federal budget proposes $200 million to endow a philanthropic fund dedicated to supporting Black-led charities and organizations serving youth and social initiatives. As well as $100 million for the “Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative.”
$200 million to establish a fund to combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes in Black communities.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $200 million in 2021-22 to Employment and Social Development Canada to establish a new Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund. This fund would be led by Black Canadians and would create a sustainable source of funding, including for Black youth and social purpose organizations, and help combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes in Black communities.
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BUDGET 2021 & CHARITY OPERATIONS |
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Charitable foundation assets have grown to $85B, but disbursements “have not kept pace,” Ottawa says The federal government is considering increasing the minimum amount that charities are required to spend each year on programs and gifts to qualified donees…
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BUDGET 2021 & INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES |
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Budget 2021 proposes to provide an additional $1.2 billion in 2021-22 to continue supporting the COVID-19 response in Indigenous communities and proposes to invest $1.4 billion over five years and $40.6 million ongoing, to maintain essential health care services for First Nations and Inuit, continue work to transform First Nations health systems, and respond to the health impacts. The budget also proposes to provide $597.6 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, for a distinctions based mental health and wellness strategy with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation and proposes to provide $1 billion over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $118.7 million ongoing to increase funding under the First Nations Child and Family Services Program.
$74.8 million over three years to improve access to justice for Indigenous people and address systemic discrimination and the over-representation of Indigenous people in the justice system. $14.9 million over four years to support the preservation of Indigenous heritage through Library and Archives Canada.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $6.7 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, and $1.4 million ongoing, to Justice Canada and Statistics Canada to improve the collection and use of disaggregated data. This is part of ongoing efforts to address the over-representation of Indigenous peoples and racialized groups in the justice system.
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BUDGET 2021 & ADDICTION/SUBTANCE USE |
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116 million over two years to address the opioid epidemic and other substance-abuse concerns.
$40.4 million over five years, and $10 million ongoing, to support up to 25 additional drug treatment courts.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide an additional $116 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, building on $66 million invested in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to support a range of innovative approaches to harm reduction, treatment, and prevention at the community level.
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BUDGET 2021 & DISABILITIES |
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$15.4 million over two years to support the creation of a national autism strategy.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide additional funding of $100 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to Employment and Social Development Canada to triple funding for the Enabling Accessibility Fund and support small and mid-sized projects with not-for-profit organizations, women’s shelters, child care centres, small municipalities, Indigenous organizations, territorial governments, small businesses, and businesses of all sizes. This would help offset the costs of renovations, retrofits, and accessible technologies in workplaces.
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BUDGET 2021 & VIOLENCE/EXPLOITATION |
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$312 million over five years, and $41.4 million ongoing, to implement legislation targeting gun violence, smuggling and trafficking.
$85.3 million over five years to support independent legal advice and representation for victims of sexual assault, as well as to support pilot projects for victims of intimate partner violence.
$20.7 million over five years for the RCMP to pursue online child sexual exploitation investigations.
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Budget 2021 proposes to provide $11 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to expand the impact of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. This investment would allow the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to scale up efforts to empower racialized Canadians and help community groups combat racism in all its forms. This investment will also enable the foundation to facilitate initiatives like the establishment of a national coalition to support Asian Canadian communities, and create a fund to support all racialized communities directly impacted by increasing acts of racism during the pandemic
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $12 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to fund academic research into systemic barriers facing diverse groups. This research will help inform actions to address social disparities related to race, gender, and other forms of diversity.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $11.9 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Employment and Social Development Canada to undertake consultations to reform the eligibility process for federal disability programs and benefits. This will help maximize the reach of these programs and improve the lives of Canadians living with disabilities. This work would feed directly into the design of a new disability benefit. In preparation for legislation, the government will undertake extensive consultations with stakeholders on the design of the new benefit and engage with provinces and territories, which play a central role in providing support to many Canadians with disabilities. Employment and Social Development Canada will also establish a steering committee to oversee the development of this work, alongside the Canada Revenue Agency, the Department of Finance Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada.
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$15 million over three years for a new fund to address challenges facing the LGBTQ community.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $15 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Women and Gender Equality Canada for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund dedicated to supporting community-informed initiatives to overcome key issues facing LGBTQ2 communities, such as accessing mental health services and employment support.
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BUDGET 2021 & SEXUAL/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH |
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Budget 2021 proposes to provide $45 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Health Canada to fund community-based organizations that help make sexual and reproductive health care information and services more accessible for vulnerable populations. These organizations support activities such as producing inclusive training materials for sexual and reproductive health care providers, carrying out public awareness activities, and providing travel and logistical support to individuals who have to go long distances to access abortion care.
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