Community Agencies

“Over many years, a sophisticated and well-established human service delivery system has evolved in Toronto in response to changing social needs. A mix of government, institutional private sector and community providers deliver these services. However, the community based sector provides the foundation of this system.”

Source: Toronto Community and Neighbourhood Services (2004). Cracks in the Foundation (Community Agency Survey 2003: A Study of Toronto’s Community-Based Human Service Sector, Final Report), p. 2.
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/publications/cracks.htm

Community agencies provide a variety of services including instruction in English or French, finding employment, accessing health care and securing adequate and affordable housing. Although the community-based sector is key to the delivery of human services, the system is under stress, primarily due to the reduction and downloading of services by senior levels of government.

A variety of agencies provide assistance with housing including access to temporary shelter, finding permanent accommodation, and helping with tenant rights issues. These agencies include large multi-serivce organizations such as COSTI , area specific agencies such as Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services and ethnic specific organizations such as the Midaynta Association of Somali Service Agencies. Details concerning these and the other 200 or so agencies that provide information specifically to immigrants are available at the 211 Toronto web site.
http://www.211toronto.ca/splash.jsp