Dave and Loralee Marshall tearfully packed up their daughter Crystal’s room at Jake’s House Community Residences in Lucan. The home for people with autism and developmental disabilities is closing on Friday after government funding was pulled late last year.
“If it was up to me I wouldn’t go home, I would stay. But we can’t stay because they won’t let us stay,” said Crystal who suffers from cerebral palsy, autism, and vision impairments.
The closure is hitting residents Ruth and Paul Wannamaker hard. The couple both have cognitive impairments, and wanted to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary amongst their Jake’s House family and friends this April.
“I’m really upset about it, and I wish that we could stay here for another couple of years but it’s really emotional to me,” said a tearful Ruth.
27 people with autism and/or developmental disabilities, as well as five seniors were forced to leave Jake’s House today after provincial government funding was pulled from the ‘supportive independent living’ home in December.
The owners say they have been funding the facility themselves ever since, but simply ran out of money to keep the doors open.
The Ministry of Children Community and Social Services says ‘ongoing compliance concerns’ are the reason they pulled their $7,000 per month per resident funding to Jake’s House.
Diana Simpson, Jake’s House Executive Director, has been Jake’s House Community Residences Executive Director since it opened if 2021. She says Jake’s House has never failed a compliance audit from the Ministry since it started accepting residents. She believes the decision was about the brick and mortar model they employed.
“We’re not an institution. People need to have a look at us. We’ve done a lot of really good things here at the home and it’s absolutely heartbreaking,” said Simpson.
Jake’s House closure has left 27 vulnerable people and their families scrambling for a new place to call home. Many will return to overwhelmed families who couldn’t deal with their complex care before, others will be placed somewhere in the group home system, and some are still searching for a place to go to.
“It is heartbreaking for our families and other families like us - not knowing where they’re going to get to live, or where they’re going to live,” said resident Paul Wannamaker.
“I’ve been a big fan of this place. It’s been a really big help for literally everyone. So, what’s going on here is not right for anyone involved,” said resident Zach Layton.
“This is where they want to live, and the ministry is not letting them choose where they live. They think they know better because they don’t have disabilities, but people with disabilities know where they belong,” said Wannamaker’s niece Meriel Reed, who also has autism and had thought she might live at Jake’s House someday.
For the families impacted it’s back to the drawing board to find a safe long term home for their loved ones.
“It’s going to be another lifestyle change again for us at 74 years of age to start back again with a child at home,” said David Marshall.
“We’re so disappointed, and a government ministry that’s mandated to care for vulnerable people [is] letting them down like this - forcing them out of the home they love, away from the people they love on Valentine’s Day,” said Jeanette Wannamaker.
“She’s in her 60’s and has never found community before, and this is her community - and today we have to take her and just take her away from that. It’s a sad day,” said Maryjo Van Drunen whose sister Carolyn was a resident at Jake’s House until today.
While today was filled with tears at Jake’s House, there is some possible hope for the future, one that doesn’t involve the government at all says Simpson.
“Jake’s House is not going away anywhere. We will be back. We will be back stronger because we won’t have to rely on government funding,” said Simpson.
How exactly that comes to fruition is yet to be seen, but for the 27 residents packing up today, they too hope this is not the last time they get to call Jake’s House home.
“It was a great place to live, and I hope to heck we get back here at some point,” said resident Crystal Marshall.
“I want to stay here forever. I mean it I really do,” said resident Ruth Wannamaker.
“It’s pretty sad when we have to say that about our government, that they can just haphazardly just cut something that affects so many people’s lives. People that are happy and safe for the first time in their lives, families who can relax because they know their loved ones are safe,” said Jake’s House Executive Director Diana Simpson.
The closure affects 40 staff at Jake’s House as well. The Minister of Children Community and Social Services says they have been and are still working with all displaced residents to find them new accommodations.
“The local Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) office continues to be available to work with individuals impacted (or their substitute decision makers) since early October 2024 to discuss how they can be supported inform them about the next steps during this transition and help them to understand options to access other ministry-funded local services and supports that may be available to them.
The Ministry encourages individuals (or their substitute decision makers) to connect with their local DSO at 1-855-437-6797” says the Ministry in a recent statement.
