New $25M health and social services hub will serve Black residents in Mississauga and Brampton

The province is investing in a new health centre that will help meet the unique needs of the Black, African and Caribbean communities in Mississauga and Brampton.

Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones was in Brampton on Wednesday to announce the province is investing some $25 million to create the Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub.

The full-service location will be geared to meet the health care and social services needs of Black individuals and families, all conveniently accessed in one place.

The hub will connect clients with a team of primary care, mental health, and social service professionals offering services like paternal and infant health, seniors health and wellness, and mental health supports, with a special focus on prevalent diseases that disproportionately impact Black, African and Caribbean communities, such as sickle cell disease.

The province says it is also investing in ways to work more closely with Black communities to increase access to screening for illnesses like breast cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

MPP for Brampton Centre Charmaine Williams said the hub will be a “significant commitment to the health and well-being of Ontario’s Black community.”

“This commitment will reduce disparities, improve fair healthcare access for all, and address long-standing healthcare challenges within the Black, African and Caribbean communities,” Williams said in a statement.

The Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub is expected to open as early as summer 2024 and was co-designed by residents in Peel, which is home to some 20 per cent of Ontario’s Black communities, the province says.

Ontario Health along with partners like the Wellesley Institute and the Black Health Alliance have developed A Black Health Plan for the province to tackle long-standing challenges in the health care system and make it easier to connect people to health care services and supports that meet their unique needs.