DNSSAB to Attend 2026 AMO Conference
Delegation meetings will advance priorities related to housing, homelessness, child care, workforce development, and human services in Nipissing North Bay, ON: The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) will join thousands of participants at the 2026 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa from August 16–19.
The annual conference brings together thousands of elected officials and staff representing Ontario's 444 municipalities, service system managers, and provincial leaders. Through conference sessions and hundreds of delegation meetings with provincial ministries, participants work to ensure local and Northern perspectives help inform provincial decision-making on issues affecting communities across Ontario. DNSSAB has secured delegation meetings with provincial ministries at the 2026 AMO Conference to advance key priorities within its mandate.
As the service system manager for Ontario Works, Housing Services, Homelessness Services, Children's Services, and Paramedic Services in the Nipissing District, DNSSAB will advocate for the following:
• Increasing capital funding for shovel-ready affordable housing projects in Nipissing District.
• Increasing Homelessness Prevention Program funding to sustain district-wide outreach, encampment response, and 24/7 shelter and housing supports.
• Piloting a housing stability benefit for single Ontario Works recipients to help bridge the gap between shelter allowances and local rental costs.
• Providing stable and predictable EarlyON base funding that reflects rising costs, growing community needs, and the added cost of rural service delivery.
• Supporting Shaping Nipissing’s Future, a local pilot focused on recruiting, training, and retaining early learning and child care professionals to make better use of existing licensed capacity.
• Revising the child care funding formula to better reflect the cost of employing qualified Registered Early Childhood Educators. • Modernizing child care funding rules so available funds can be directed to priority local needs and more families can access affordable licensed child care.
• Creating transitional housing with 24/7 supports for people leaving incarceration.
While a delegation request with the Ministry of Health was not granted this year, DNSSAB will continue to advocate for priorities related to Community Paramedicine, integrated mental health and substance use supports, and workforce challenges that constrain system capacity and expansion. "Across Nipissing, communities are facing increasing pressures related to housing, homelessness, workforce shortages, and access to important services," said Mark King, DNSSAB Board Chair. "The AMO Conference provides an opportunity to bring these issues directly to provincial decision-makers and advocate for practical solutions that reflect the realities of Northern communities. Continued investment in people, services, and social infrastructure is essential to building healthy, resilient communities both today and in the years ahead."
