Ontario still short of long-term care bed goal, data in fiscal update show

TORONTO — Ontario has built nearly 6,700 long-term care beds with another 18,000 beds in the pipeline, a far cry from the province’s goal to add 58,000 new or upgraded beds by 2028.

The new data is contained in the province’s fall economic statement that Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tabled at Queen’s Park today.

The province launched an ambitious plan in 2021 to modernize long-term care.

That came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that killed thousands of people in nursing homes.

The province says 44 long-term care homes have been built, with another 104 either under construction or approved.

Long-Term Care Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the latest data.

The province recently launched a new capital funding program to stimulate construction of more nursing homes.

An industry association that represents non-profit long-term care homes says the new program is a “game changer.”

Lisa Levin, CEO of AdvantAge Ontario, commended the government and said the program has already spurred a number of the organization’s members to begin building new nursing homes.

The province previously offered similar programs, though they were limited to six-month application windows, which proved difficult for many organizations to complete in time, Levin said.

The province has now made that program permanent.

“That’s amazing because it gives more confidence to the sector that they can go ahead and move forward,” Levin said. “Secondly, there’s a lot more money that’s being offered.”

Levin believes this will help spur the construction of significantly more homes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2025.

Liam Casey and Allison Jones, The Canadian Press