Hosted by Leeanna Pendergast MPP & John Milloy MPP

As part of a formal province-wide public consultation on poverty reduction, led by the Provincial Committee on Poverty Reduction, over 120 Kitchener-Waterloo and area community members came together at the Schwaben Club from 6-9pm. on Thursday July 3rd to bring forward ideas. Contributors included: community leaders, various levels of government representatives, social services and health care providers, non-profit organizations, police services representatives, seniors, those with disabilities, persons with experience in poverty, new Canadians, and members of the business community at-large.

MC Myrta Rivera opened the session and introduced John Milloy, MPP of Kitchener Centre and Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. He noted that Leeanna Pendergast was not able to attend. In his comments, Minister Milloy noted many of the positive steps that are being taken to reduce poverty by the Government of Ontario. Touching on the Cabinet Committee’s mandate, process, and priorities, Minister Milloy emphasized the need for a coherent strategy, and the importance of input from community members as the Committee considers areas of policy and resource allocation.

To open dialogue, a panel of three community members presented their own efforts to reduce poverty in Waterloo Region. Christine Bird, Coordinator of the Alliance for Children and Youth, emphasized the importance of access – to recreation, transportation, education, resources, and information. Brice Balmer, from the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition, discussed the link between poverty and crime and added that by making poverty history, crime will also deteriorate in society. And finally Charles Nichols, Chair of the Homelessness Advisory Committee and a member of the Harm Reduction Network, highlighted the need for stable and affordable housing – doing so would lift children out of poverty by lifting parents and single adults out of poverty. He spoke for many present when he stated that ‘there is no one way to be poor’ and summed it up that ‘being poor sucks’.

After panelists Christine Bird, Brice Balmer, and Henry Nichols made their remarks, participants gathered with their table-members to discuss the set of questions presented to them. These questions were the same as used at each provincial public consultation:

1. Given our first priority is children and their families, what are the top three things we can do better with existing resources to improve opportunities for children living in poverty?
2. What new ideas could we incorporate into our existing supports that would increase opportunities for children living in poverty?
3. We know that communities are best positioned to understand and respond to the local realities of poverty and opportunity. Please describe what you believe is already working in your community to support children, youth and their families living in poverty to achieve their potential?
4. We know that to be successful we must all work together. How can we better integrate the roles that we all play – individuals, non-profits, the private sector, volunteers and all levels of government – in increasing opportunity for Ontarians living in poverty?
5. We are focusing on children first, but we will develop a comprehensive long-term poverty reduction strategy for all people living in poverty. What are the key long-term goals for improving opportunity with respect to groups other than children?
6. We need to be able to measure our progress on poverty reduction. What measures do you think will best show our progress in improving opportunity for Ontarians living in poverty?

After the discussion of these questions, all groups were asked to report back and present their top two points. The following are the reports presented by the groups:

• Integrate systems of support, need a holistic approach to reduce poverty. Use our community centres to break the cycle of poverty. Need to be near people to network and build self-confidence.
• Make poverty a priority in society. Gambling issues should be evaluated. Trillium has more sustainable funding from gambling than from the provincial government.
• Government now has poverty elimination as priority; need a way of measuring all issues and programs.
• Accessibility and access through public outreach. Offer affordable housing by adopting a housing first policy. Child care is also a priority; foster parents should receive increased supports. Community outreach workers to help people access programs. Are people aware of programs available?
• Inspiration for those working through guaranteed annual income and regulated labour standards, with things such as childcare and health care support. Also, there is a need to educate and communicate information in the community, inspiring individuals to understand the social issue.
• Access for people in need through one-stop shopping programs, increased transportation accessibility, and utilization of community centres. Many are turned off because don’t know where help is.
• Foster care for non-related is higher than for kin-care. Keep children in their families and communities.
• Reduce stigma relating to poverty, with increased accessibility for those in poverty. Enforce universal/equitable access to childcare and services for all members of society. Inspire community to educate and advocate to work towards a healthy community.
• Shift attitudes about poverty through integrated housing. Measure the reduction of poverty by the decreased number of food banks and out in the cold programs as indicators.
• Sustainable support for disabled and increased opportunities tailored to students strengths. Better benefits, which do not disqualify people for other benefits.
• Dignity is central focus of all poverty reduction strategies. Members of community must continue to be included in the decision making. Parenting should occur through informed choices and education opportunities.
• Support systems must take multiple outreach forms, including access, communication and community responsibility. Education as a basis for society for all children and adults, involve the public in decision making process.
• Eliminate disincentives to employment and clawbacks. Implement guaranteed income. Decrease stigma around poverty, getting federal government to increase efforts. Employment insurance restriction – more benefits and more training programs.
• Increase OW and ODSP rates. Provide increase benefits such as dental and health care. Eradicate stigma of poverty – ‘us’ ‘them.’ Drugs, medical and dental for all low wage workers.
• Creation of Minister of Poverty Reduction. It is important to have meetings to consult others in the community to find solutions. Systems are currently too complicated. Increase education supports such as ESL programs.
• Full year, full time employment should earn above low income cut off. More social supports are needed in all areas – universal day care, health and dental benefits; social support infrastructure. Eliminate red tape now and do not introduce more in any new programs.
• Government to model communication and integration, eligibility requirements should be the same everywhere and to everyone. Modelled after programs which concurrently meet multiple needs of family

The consultation concluded with a few comments and questions from participants and a short speech given by Minister Milloy.

Prepared from notes taken by
Brice Balmer, Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Centre
Trudy Beaulne, Laura Beaulne-Stuebing, Allan Babor, Shea Austin,
Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo

On Friday, June 27, more than 100 participants gathered at the International Union of Operating Engineers Banquet Hall in Oakville for a consultation sponsored by Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, Community Development Halton, the Burlington/Halton chapter of Make Poverty History and 15 other local organizations and agencies.

The consultation was attended by the Honourable Margarett Best, Minister of Health Promotion and member of the Ontario Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction, Oakville MP Bonnie Brown and representatives of faith groups, multicultural and women’s groups, agencies, funding organizations, local government, labour and advocacy groups.

John Versluis of the Burlington/Halton Chapter of Make Poverty History, opened the conversation, commenting that, although Halton (comprising the communities of Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills) is one of the wealthiest regions of Ontario, this event was one of the larger consultations to date on the Poverty Reduction Strategy. He noted that the current push toward a Poverty Reduction Strategy is the product of groundwork laid over decades by social planning councils, the Social Planning Network of Ontario, Make Poverty History, Campaign 2000 and others.

MPP Kevin Flynn delivered opening and closing comments, stating that the government’s goal is to address the root causes of poverty, and that benchmarks and targets provide better opportunities for the likelihood of success. He commented that, although he believes there is an appetite for poverty reduction, polls indicate that the public does not currently consider it a priority. However, he said, “how we treat our most vulnerable is a measure of our society” and poverty reduction is in the best interest of all Ontarians and of Ontario’s economy and competitiveness.

Several individuals and agencies described their experience with poverty in Halton: the invisibility of the poor and the lack of public awareness; barriers to work; the situation of those living with mental illness; the situation of women in violent situations who lack the financial resources to leave, and are often reluctant to report abuse, fearing loss of income or, for newcomer women, deportation; the relationship between poverty and crime; and the importance of assistance provided by grassroots organizations.

Dr. Joey Edwardh of Community Development Halton introduced the 25 in 5 Declaration and presented the SPNO Policy Framework, describing the process now taking place in Ontario as “seizing an historic moment.”

Minister of Health Promotion Margarett Best described poverty as “a moral issue, an economic issue, education issue, criminal issue, gender issue and social issue,” continuing that “poverty is an urgent issue and poverty is everyone’s issue,” acknowledging the community’s concern that development of a Poverty Reduction Strategy not become bogged down in the development of benchmarks and indicators.

Group discussion followed on three questions:

1. Whether an acceptable level of progress on poverty reduction can be made with resources already in place, or requires significant investments.

Most felt that additional investments were needed, as well as changes in how we do things: coordination and a team approach among all levels of government; strong collective bargaining; greater collaboration and efficiency in agencies and organizations; increased eligibility for Employment Insurance; decreases in red tape; increases in stable funding to agencies and community organizations working with those in poverty; increased investment in affordable housing, minimum wage, employment opportunities, access to education and transit; increased mentorship; increased awareness and support structures; increased funding to mental health and those with special needs.

2. Whether the 25 in 5 plan is a solid framework that the Government of Ontario should consider adopting as a starting point for its own poverty reduction plan

All but one of the nine groups supported the 25 in 5 framework as a starting point for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, with groups commenting variously that the 25 in 5 needs to be accompanied by heightened public awareness and the investments referred to in the first question. The ninth group felt that the 25 in 5 framework is not yet specific enough, and that Ontario should look at the model of Nordic countries in developing its Poverty Reduction Strategy.

3. To identify an indicator of poverty reduction by completing the following sentence: We will know that poverty has decreased when . . .

Groups completed this sentence with the phrases such as: when we see children go to school with a lunch; food banks close; decreased housing wait lists and social assistance caseloads; decreased domestic violence; those with disabilities can live with dignity and respect; people can have an adequate diet and the occasional luxury; rates of secondary school graduation increase; access to food, clothing, shelter and work opportunities; increased hopefulness; increased health; success stories from clients; organizations that deal with poverty disband, not because of a lack of support but because of a lack of need.

Summarizing the feeling of those in attendance was the widely applauded statement:
“… It’s time for action”

Charles Sousa, M.P.P. for Mississauga South, will be holding a public Poverty Reduction Consultation as follows:

Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008

Time: 9-12 am

Location: Clark Memorial Hall,
161 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Mississauga MAP

Gilles Bisson MPP (Timmins–James Bay) invites you to attend a public meeting on poverty reduction – a community dialogue on priorities for poverty reduction in Ontario. All are welcome to participate! We particularly welcome the participation of people with direct experience of poverty.

When: Thursday, July 17
6:30pm – 9:00pm

Where: Lakehead Labour Centre
929 Fort William Road MAP
(across from Intercity Mall)
Thunder Bay, Ontario

Food and refreshments will be provided. Bus tickets will be available. Child care is available if requested by Monday July 14. The location is wheelchair accessible.

To RSVP for the meeting, or find out more about future meetings,
please call 1-705-268-6400 or e-mail gbisson@ndp.on.ca

The Ottawa Child Poverty Action Group Participation in the The Ontario Poverty Reduction Consultation – Ottawa Centre and Ottawa South June 26; 6:30 to 9 pm

The event was held in held at the Ottawa Technical High School on Albert Street. Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre was present. The animator was Simone Thibault, Executive Director from the Centre Town Community Health Centre. There were approximately 50 participants from various anti poverty groups, school representatives, and individuals on OW and ODSP. Ottawa CPAG was represented by Ryan Legault-McGill, Jennifer Harju and I. The format involved a workshop approach with the participants being randomly divided among 8 tables.

Our contributions included the following points.

Housing

Shelter is a building block of civilization, so how can many of Ottawa’s residents be in core housing need? 37% of Ottawa renters pay over 30% of their income to rent; the significant majority of this population earn under $32k/annum. For those who seek social housing, the wait time in Ottawa is seven years! For children especially, seven years is a lifetime. Every study on the issue finds that shelter is imperative for individual well-being, why are the housing needs of Ontarians being ignored?

Recommendations

• Increase the number of rent-geared-to-income housing spaces offered through the Rent Supplement program
• Explore rent vouchers (Liberal Pink Book II)
• Better access to social housing

Minimum Wage

Across Ottawa, individuals provide food, clothes and shelter for themselves through gainful employment. Unfortunately, many residents are unable to meet these basic needs for themselves, even working full-time. The impacts of low wages are often magnified when these individuals are members of single parents households, differentially-able, new to Canada, ex-convicts and recovering addicts. The working poor deserve a dignified life.

Recommendations

• Raise provincial minimum wage
• Explore option of encouraging cities to set living-wages

Early Learning and Childcare

The Canadian Labour Congress has given Ontario a “D” rating for its record in providing affordable regulated child care. The province blames Ottawa for not providing sufficient funding, but during the last five years, Ontario has received more that $1 billion plus from the federal government for child care. According to Jenny Robinson, executive director of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, the Ontario government has created 22,000 new daycare spaces, but none since 2005. CPAG believes that Ontario should follow the example set by Quebec. While Quebec has only 22 per cent of the population but 45 per cent of regulated child-care spaces in Canada.

Recommendations

• Invest in accessible, affordable and quality child care by implementing the seven dollar a day model developed by Quebec.
• Ensure that child care workers receive a living wage.

Transportation

By nearly all accounts, public transportation in Ottawa is failing Ottawa’s citizens. Studies have found that OC Transit has below average performance in cost-recovery, cost-effectiveness, on-time performance and user satisfaction. Meanwhile, the per-trip user fees are the highest in the country. Transit planners have oriented the system to move commuters to and from downtown while the needs of low-income users remain an insignificant policy concern. Public transportation is an essential service for Ottawa’s most marginalized populations, and high costs and poor servicing reduce these communities’ capabilities for civil, social and economic engagement and self-care.

Recommendations

• Provincial support for local public transit and encourage the prioritization of needs of low-income users
• Public transit assistance for people living in poverty
• Free public transit passes for students (teachers shouldn’t be buying bus tickets so their low-income students can attend school)

Plans, Timelines and Indicators

Intentions amount for little if they are not coupled with action. Plans, timelines and indicators are essential for guiding and sustaining action and focus. Cities and municipalities that have long-term sustainability and poverty reduction plans perform better on sustainability and poverty indices (eg: Portland, Oregon). Given this, each city, municipality and neighbourhood has unique populations that face different expressions of inequality.

Recommendations

• Create city and provincial-level indicators with timelines and benchmarks
• Work with cities to create regional poverty reduction strategies that incorporate the services utilized by low-income residents
• Provincial strategy should allow for local differences and local initiatives.

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Report from Adje VandeSande, Ottawa Child Poverty Action Group.