Cuts to Hope 24/7 come as sexual assault crimes continue to rise in Peel Region

Hope 24/7, Peel Region’s only provincially designated Sexual Assault Centre (SAC), has been doing more with less for years, but recent belt-tightening by the province poses a significant threat to its services.

Since 2013, Hope 24/7 has assisted more than 22,000 residents with a variety of supports and programs for victims of sexual assault and other crimes. The facility is the only one in Peel Region employing regulated health professionals in compliance with provincial legislation, making it the go-to centre.

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The region’s only provincially designated Sexual Assault Centre is the second-lowest funded centre in the province, despite its success in helping more than 22,000 victims of sexual assault and related crimes, such as human trafficking, recover.

A 21 percent cut in provincial funding last July, only partially restored this month, has made Hope 24/7’s work all the more difficult in the #MeToo era, where more victims are feeling empowered to come forward. Mayors Patrick Brown and Bonnie Crombie are appealing to the province to restore full funding.

Published on April 24, 2019 in The Pointer - Brampton