District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board

What District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board does

The District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) is a municipally-accountable, provincially-mandated government agency — one of 10 District Social Services Administration Boards in Northern Ontario and one of 47 Service Managers in the province — that delivers an integrated bundle of social services to the residents of Sault Ste. Marie, Prince Township, and 31 unincorporated townships stretching north to Montreal River. The organization operates four core service lines under a single administrative umbrella: Ontario Works (financial assistance and employment support, with employment services now delivered through Employment Ontario partners since March 1, 2025); Community Housing & Development (the largest social housing provider in Sault Ste. Marie, managing over 700 rent-geared-to-income units, 400+ subsidized private sector units, and ~920 total units through its wholly-owned subsidiary Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation); Early Years Services (licensed CWELCC-approved child care, EarlyON centres, and fee subsidies); and Paramedic Services (24/7 emergency response to over 24,000 calls per year for a population of ~80,000, with a 100+ paramedic team, 22-vehicle fleet, and a Community Paramedicine program running 14 hours daily).

DSSMSSAB is funded through provincial and federal government transfers and exercises its authority under the Ontario Works Act and the Housing Services Act. Service delivery is organized around three community hubs (Downtown at 548 Albert St. E., Chapple Ave, and Second Line West) that co-locate Ontario Works, Housing, and Early Years staff with partner agencies, plus five paramedic stations including the Regional Emergency Services Complex and satellite bases in Garden River First Nation and Goulais River. The organization runs a quality By-Name List through Built for Zero Canada (since August 2019) and is approaching functional zero on chronic homelessness; it also operates the Affordable Home Ownership Program in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The technology footprint is modest and largely off-the-shelf or third-party: the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) for 911 triage (implemented April 15, 2026), CP@Clinic in affiliation with McMaster University for community paramedicine, provincial online application portals (ontario.ca/socialassistance, socialhousingapplication.com, saultchildcare.ca), and the MyBenefits participant portal. DSSMSSAB employs 101–250 staff across its service lines, is governed by an eight-member board of locally elected representatives, and is led by CEO Mike Nadeau alongside COO Louie Bruni, CFO David Petersson, and Chief of Paramedic Services Kate Kirkham.

Name

District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board

Legal name

District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board

Website

https://socialservices-ssmd.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DSSMSSAB is a provincially-mandated Ontario government agency that delivers integrated social services — Ontario Works financial assistance, social and affordable housing, licensed child care, and 24/7 paramedic services — to the ~80,000 residents of Sault Ste. Marie, Prince Township, and surrounding unincorporated townships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services Administration

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Home-Based Primary Care / Medical House Call Practices (HLAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Social services administration
• Emergency medical services
• Social housing management
• Licensed child care services
• Financial assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sault Sainte Marie

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB), the organization is funded by provincial (Ontario) and federal government transfers to deliver mandated social services including Ontario Works, Housing, Early Years, and Paramedic Services. Revenue is derived from government allocations rather than direct customer payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DSSMSSAB is a provincially mandated social services administration board delivering four service lines: Ontario Works (financial assistance and employment supports for residents in need), Community Housing & Development (rent-geared-to-income housing, affordable market rent, homelessness prevention, and the Affordable Home Ownership Program), Early Years Services (licensed child care under CWELCC and EarlyON child and family centres), and Paramedic Services (24/7 emergency medical response plus community paramedicine for seniors). It also wholly owns the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation, which manages over 920 housing units in the district.

Product overview

The District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) is a government social services organization, not a technology product company. It operates as a unified service delivery model with four interconnected core service areas: Ontario Works (financial assistance and employment support), Community Housing & Development (social housing management and homelessness prevention), Early Years Services (child care and family support), and Paramedic Services (emergency medical and community paramedicine). These services are delivered through integrated channels including Community Hubs, specialized programs like the Affordable Home Ownership Program and LEAP, and partnerships with Employment Ontario and healthcare providers. The organization manages over 700 rent-geared-to-income housing units and provides emergency services to approximately 80,000 residents across Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ontario Works Provincial financial assistance and employment support program for individuals and families in financial need, including case management, health benefits, and referrals to Employment Ontario partners (Sault Community Career Centre, Employment Solutions, Yes You Can Employment, March of Dimes). LEAP sub-program serves young parents aged 16-25.
• Community Housing & Development Largest provider of social housing in Sault Ste. Marie, managing 700+ rent-geared-to-income units and 400+ subsidized private sector units, administering homelessness programs and a centralized waitlist.
• Early Years Services Service system management supporting families and children through licensed child care operator oversight, central applications and waitlists, financial subsidies for eligible families, and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
• Paramedic Services Provincially mandated emergency medical services delivered 24/7 to a population of approximately 80,000, responding to over 24,000 calls per year with a fleet of 22 vehicles (13 ambulances, 6 Community Paramedic vehicles, 3 emergency response vehicles) from four deployment stations.
• Affordable Home Ownership Program (AHOP) Partnership program with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing that purchases distressed homes, renovates them through the Building Maintenance and Construction Training Program, and sells them at affordable prices to qualifying families.
• Learning, Earning And Parenting (LEAP) Program for Ontario Works participants aged 16-25 to gain parenting skills, finish high school, and prepare for the working world, providing resources including daycare, supplies, fees, counselling, and parenting classes.
• Homelessness Prevention Housing First approach with wrap-around intensive case management through the Homelessness Prevention Team, working with Built for Zero Canada toward functional zero chronic homelessness.
• Community Hubs Three collaborative service delivery spaces (Downtown Hub at 548 Albert St. E., Chapple Ave Hub, Second Line West Hub) where staff from Ontario Works, Housing, and Early Years provide integrated services alongside partner agencies.
• Community Paramedicine Non-emergency in-home health care delivered by paramedics 14 hours daily (7am-9pm), focusing on older adults with complex medical needs, offering CP@Clinic disease prevention and home visits with vital sign monitoring, point-of-care testing, and medication review.
• DSSAB Child Care Programs CWELCC-approved licensed child care at two locations (St. Paul Extended Day and Prince Charles Early Learning Centre), serving children ages 0-12 with infant, toddler, preschool, and before/after school programming.
• Kids Being Kids (KBK) Summer program operating at six housing locations providing children ages 6-12 with healthy lunches through Harvest Algoma and enriching activities and experiences.
• Subsidized Housing Application Centre Centralized system for processing social housing applications and forwarding them to selected providers, available online and in-person at the Downtown Hub.

Quantifiable outcome

• Functionally zero chronic homelessness — community close to achieving functional zero defined as homeless count no greater than monthly housing placement rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Sault CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Sault College is launching a new two-year Primary Care Paramedic diploma program in collaboration with DSSAB and the Algoma District Services Administration Board, launching Fall 2026. The program addresses paramedic workforce shortages across Northern Ontario with an estimated need for 450 new paramedics within three years. Eligible applicants can access Ontario's Learn and Stay Grant for tuition coverage.
• Sault Area HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services and Sault Area Hospital jointly administered 1,182 vaccines at community-based immunization clinics across the district in fall 2025, including RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 doses. The Community Paramedicine Program aims to reduce pressure on emergency departments and walk-in clinics.
• Employment Ontario (Sault Community Career Centre, Employment Solutions, Yes You Can Employment, March of Dimes)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025As of March 1, 2025, Employment Ontario began delivering employment supports for Ontario Works participants in Sault Ste. Marie. Four partner organizations — Sault Community Career Centre, Employment Solutions, Yes You Can Employment, and March of Dimes — now provide employment services previously funded by DSSMSSAB. DSSAB continues to help OW participants access supports and referrals.
• Built for Zero CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019DSSMSSAB participates in Built for Zero Canada, a national change effort to end chronic homelessness. The community achieved By-Name List implementation in August 2019 and is close to functional zero. The Homelessness Prevention Team works within the Built for Zero methodology to align with the national plan to end homelessness.
• McMaster University (CP@Clinic)strategicTechnology or IntegrationThe CP@Clinic program is offered in affiliation with McMaster University. Community Paramedics deliver disease prevention, management, and health promotion programming using McMaster's clinical protocols and research-based approach.
• Homelessness Prevention Team Partner AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative team including DSSMSSAB, Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, John Howard Society, Canadian Mental Health Association Algoma, Pauline's Place, St. Vincent's Place, Sault Area Hospital, Algoma Treatment and Remand Facility, and Indian Friendship Centre. These agencies work together on Point-in-Time Counts and homelessness prevention.
• Algoma District Services Administration BoardstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with neighboring Algoma DSSAB on the new Primary Care Paramedic diploma program alongside Sault College to address paramedic shortages across Northern Ontario.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Region of Peel - Human Services: Ontario regional Service Manager delivering the same four-pillar suite (Ontario Works, housing, early years, paramedic services) to a much larger urban population.
• City of Ottawa - Community & Social Services: Municipal Service Manager delivering Ontario Works, social housing, child care, and paramedic services under the same provincial legislation as DSSMSSAB.
• Niagara Region - Community Services: Regional Service Manager operating Ontario Works, social housing, early years, and paramedic services within the same provincial framework as DSSMSSAB.
• City of Toronto - Employment & Social Services: Largest Ontario Service Manager under the same Ontario Works Act and Housing Services Act framework; comparable service model but at much greater urban scale.

Direct peers

• District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board: One of the 10 Northern Ontario DSSABs with the same legislative mandate, providing integrated Ontario Works, housing, child-care, and paramedic services under provincial direction.
• Algoma District Services Administration Board: Adjacent Northern Ontario DSSAB mandated with the same four-pillar delivery model (Ontario Works, housing, child care, paramedic services); DSSMSSAB's direct collaborator on the Sault College paramedic diploma program.
• District of Cochrane Social Services Administration Board: Northern Ontario DSSAB with comparable rural/Northern service delivery model, particularly for paramedic and housing services across a similarly low-density district.
• Manitoulin-Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board: Another of the 10 Northern Ontario DSSABs delivering identical Ontario Works, Housing, Early Years, and Paramedic programs under the same provincial framework.

Others

• Canadian Mental Health Association - Algoma Branch: Active partner on the Homelessness Prevention Team; provides mental health supports that complement DSSMSSAB's homelessness and housing services in the same district.

Regional players

• Renfrew County Social Services: Eastern Ontario DSSAB delivering the same Ontario Works, Housing, Early Years, and Paramedic Services mandate across rural communities comparable to DSSMSSAB's Northern Ontario footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DSSMSSAB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/district-of-sault-ste-marie-social-services-administration-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board