Common Ground: A Strategy for Moving Forward on Poverty Reduction, tracks the government’s progress at the third anniversary of the Province’s poverty reduction promise. The report shows that while some progress has been made, it’s critical that all three parties work together to lift 90,000 Ontario children out of poverty by 2013. The report also identifies ten areas of common ground that emerged across parties during the 2011 election campaign, and urges government to work with the opposition parties to take action on these commitments right away.

“The commitment to poverty reduction expressed across party lines during the election campaign shows that there is common political will to take action here,” said Greg DeGroot-Maggetti of the Mennonite Central Committee. “A minority parliament must not be seen as an impediment to taking bold action to tackle poverty in this province.”

The 25 in 5 report finds that since 2008, a combination of good policies and government investment have had a positive impact – child poverty in Ontario has dropped slightly, as compared with significant increases in child poverty in provinces where no action was taken. By contrast, adult poverty rates continued to climb in the absence of strong government commitments. More can and must be done.

“Given the slow recovery from the recession and growing income inequality, now is not the time for the provincial government to sit on its laurels,” said Mike Creek, of Voices From the Street and chair of 25 in 5. “Targeted action is urgently needed, including expanding poverty reduction targets to include adults – especially singles – and addressing equity for groups more at risk of poverty, particularly at this time of fiscal restraint.”

“If the province reins in spending while seeking to protect healthcare and education, the health and social costs of doing nothing to tackle poverty will be too great to ignore,” said Jennefer Laidley of the Income Security Advocacy Centre. “If we don’t make investments to reduce poverty now, inequality will continue to grow, health care costs will continue to rise, and people in particular groups and communities will continue to be left behind.”

25 in 5 urges the provincial government to act, particularly where there is common ground across provincial parties. This includes introducing a new housing benefit, reforming social assistance, reducing earned income deductions for people on social assistance, raising the Ontario Child Benefit, taking action on minimum wage, and making the early learning vision a reality.

Recommendations for concrete action in these and other areas are outlined in the report. Click here for a PDF of the report, and click here for a Word version of the report.

See coverage of the report in the Toronto Star at: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1096936–child-poverty-easing-in-ontario-report-says

1. Quote of the Day
2. Political Parties Called to Act on Poverty: Political Commitments Grid Released

Toronto, September 27, 2011 –Ontario’s political parties offer limited solutions to child and family poverty that should be of priority this election, a new report from Ontario Campaign 2000 has found.

The “Political Commitment Grid” released today by Ontario Campaign 2000 evaluates each of Ontario’s four major political parties’ plans on poverty reduction and eradication. Most party platforms mention poverty reduction strategies, but some parties still fail to make extensive commitments on critical issues that affect people living on low income and in poverty.

“All political parties committed to poverty reduction in their unanimous support for the 2009 Poverty Reduction Act, but their political commitments so far this election are underwhelming,” said Mike Creek, co-Chair of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction. “Now more than ever we call upon all political parties to act to build an Ontario where everyone lives in dignity.”

The Grid informs a Call to Action letter from the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, which spearheaded the call for poverty reduction in 2007. The letter calls on party leaders to act on their commitment to poverty reduction, and to pursue strong and comprehensive policies aimed at achieving an equitable and inclusive Ontario and a province free from poverty. The Call to Action has received endorsement from over a hundred organizations and individuals across Ontario.

“As communities work hard to remove barriers and provide supports for our most vulnerable residents, now is the time for all parties to demonstrate their leadership by outlining a clear plan of action on eradicating poverty, said Adam Vasey, Director of Pathway to Potential in Windsor. “Nearly 1.7million Ontarians – one in ten of us – live in poverty. Ontarians are counting on their political leaders to clearly articulate their vision for an equitable, inclusive province that ensures opportunity and dignity for everyone.”

“We not only want all parties to acknowledge these issues, we want them to bring in policies and set comprehensive targets now for achieving poverty eradication in the future,” said Alizeh Hussain, Interim Coordinator of Ontario Campaign 2000. “It should be unacceptable that 4 in 5 children in Ontario do not have access to licensed affordable child care, over 150,000 households are on waiting lists for non-profit housing, and 40% of food bank users say they go hungry at least one day a week. We need to know what the parties will do about these critical issues.”

“Now more than ever we need parties to address poverty, as it affects everyone and it’s the right thing to do for our social and economic well being,” said Greg deGroot-Maggetti of Mennonite Central Committee in Kitchener. “Firm commitments on poverty eradication would give everyone a secure foundation and strengthen Ontario’s economic outlook. It can’t be stressed enough how crucial it is that all parties act on eradicating poverty in Ontario.”

• Read the Detailed Party Commitments Grid 
• Read the Short-form Grid 
• Read the 25 in 5 Call to Action 
• Read the Call to Action Endorsers List 
• This press release is also available in PDF

1. Quote of the Day
2. 25 in 5 Comments on 2011 Ontario Budget
3. Take Action on the new Social Housing Legislation: HNO
4. Bringing In Women’s Voices From the Margins

1. Quotes of the Day: TCHC
2. 25 in 5 on the Minimum Wage
3. Hunger Crisis: Report of the Hunger Inquiry
4. Take a Stand Against Wage Theft
5. Judging the Poor: Canadians’ Attitudes
6. Upcoming Events Around the Province: 

• Hunger Situation Critical: Put Food in the Budget!
• A Community Forum on Poverty – It’s Time for the Federal Government to Do Its Part
• Canada’s Colour Coded Labour Market

1. Quote of the Day
2. 25 in 5 Network and Partners on the Budget
3. Valentines for Dwight Duncan: Put Food in the Budget!
4. Ontario Can’t Work Without Child Care
5. Welcome to Ontario: But Please Don’t Get Sick!
6. Upcoming Events Around the Province: 

• Action for Affordable Housing Forum: Toronto
• Anti-Poverty Forum for Frontline Social Workers: Brant / Brantford
• Pathway to Potential: Windsor
• Breaking Out: Real Voices, Real Change – Save the Date!

The economy is on the mend, but recovery remains fragile. The threat of Ontario dipping back into a slowdown is very real. Ontario faces a serious challenge in creating a healthy economy sustained by good paying, secure, equitably accessible jobs to replace the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs lost in the last decade.

To make Ontario a prosperous jurisdiction in a competitive global context will take a substantial investment by the public for the public. Ontario will pay a steep price if we take a political road that favours some Ontarians while leaving others behind. We will pay a steep price if we allow a generation of formidable minds to waste away on the sidelines.

In the coming budget, Ontarians are looking to their provincial government to implement and fund smart policies that achieve four core goals during this next period of economic recovery.

Click here to download the 25 in 5 Prebudget Submission for 2011, “Building a Resilient Ontario: From Poverty Reduction to Economic Opportunity”

1. Quote of the Day
2. 25 in 5 Welcomes Social Assistance Review; Recommends Interim Steps
3. Ontario’s Proposed Affordable Housing Plan Fails to Meet Five Basic Tests set by Housing Network of Ontario

“We’re very pleased with the broad terms of reference for this review. It will provide recommendations not only on how to transform social assistance but on how it should connect to other income security programs that many of us need to rely on at some point in our lives, such as disability support programs and Employment Insurance,” said Jacquie Maund, Coordinator of Ontario Campaign 2000.

“This is the right thing to do for poverty reduction and for a strong Ontario economy. We want everyone to be able to achieve their full potential to contribute to our economy and society. Our income security system needs to be re-equipped to respond to economic pressures and support people through rough times – it’s not doing that now. ”

The broad terms of reference for the review of social assistance show that the Ontario government listened to the advice of the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council. They reflect the call for revamped income security programs to ensure that people receiving social assistance can live in dignity and be provided the supports and opportunities they need to move into the workforce if they are able to work.

“We are pleased with the choice of commissioners, Frances Lankin and Munir Sheikh. These are people with integrity who know the value of listening to the community and developing policy recommendations based on solid evidence. We encourage them to hear directly from people who are on the Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Programs about the changes needed,” said Mike Creek, Co- Chair of 25 in 5.

This review will start in January and continue for 18 months. It will be supported by a commission of civil servants and poverty advisors. “An 18 month review gives the commissioners time to do the job right – but that should not stop the government from taking interim measures to respond to people’s immediate needs. People across Ontario are struggling now to survive on extremely low social assistance rates. A single person receives only $592/month. The 25 in 5 Network is calling for an immediate increase of $100 a month for adults on social assistance,” said Jacquie Maund. “We also urge the Government to move forward on creating an Ontario Housing Benefit.”

Government also announced that it is looking to the 2008 Special Diets Expert Review Panel’s report to improve the Special Diet allowance Program as an interim measure until the Social Assistance Review is complete.

“We see the Government’s decision to include the Special Diet Allowance in the broader Social Assistance Review as a positive step,” says Mike Creek.

The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction is a coalition that is endorsed by 1500 groups and individuals from across Ontario committed to a strong and effective Ontario poverty reduction plan.

1. Quote of the Week
2. 25 in 5 Releases Second Year Poverty Reduction Progress Report
3. Ontario’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy Released
4. ‘Roll It In’: Coalition Urges Government to Delay Special Diet Decision

TORONTO (Nov 29, 2010) – A coalition of poverty reduction advocates urges the Ontario government to redouble its efforts to cut poverty by 25% by 2013 or risk falling short of the goal.

 In a report marking the second anniversary of the province’s poverty reduction promise, the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction says recession has put even more heat on the Ontario government to put its commitment on the front burner.

“The 2008-09 recession hit Ontarians hard, plunging many into poverty and making it more challenging for those already in deep poverty to climb out,” says Greg deGroot-Maggetti, co-chair of 25 in 5.

“The post-recession reality is that many Ontarians need help getting back on their feet, with additional supports, training, education and job opportunities.

The 25 in 5 report, Building a Resilient Ontario, concludes Ontario was smart to stay the course on poverty reduction during the worst of the recession, but the true test of the government’s commitment comes post-recession and into recovery. 

“Some would prey on the public’s fears about slow economic growth, using them as an excuse to walk away from the promise to reduce poverty,” deGroot-Maggetti says. “But periods of slow growth are exactly when governments should redouble their efforts. The province must put poverty reduction on priority status or its 2013 goal won’t be met.”

“Poverty reduction is smart economic and social policy because it’s about building resilient communities that can bounce back from tough times,” says Mike Creek, 25 in 5 co-chair. “As Ontario nears the halfway point of its poverty reduction timeline, the mission is to stay focused on the goal. The clock is ticking.”

 The report urges the provincial government to make a clear and bold investment in its poverty reduction promise in the 2011-12 budget; to review income security programs; to invest in good jobs and core social supports such as early learning, affordable housing, and programs that ensure Ontarians have access to livable incomes.

Click here to download the Building a Resilient Ontario report in PDF format

Click here to download the Building a Resilient Ontario report in Word format

Click here to download this Press Release in PDF format

1. Quote of the Week
2. 25 in 5 Community Briefing: Year Two of Government’s Progress on Poverty Reduction
3. Ontario Campaign 2000: 2010 Report Card
4. “Zero Dollar Linda”: New Report from Metcalf
5. ISARC Social Audit: Poverty Persists
6. Housing as a Human Right: Community and Legal Action to End Homelessness
7. Save the Census Campaign Update

Click here to read the e-Bulletin.

Monday, November 29th

1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Church of the Holy Trinity

10 Trinity Square, Toronto (near the Eaton Centre)

25 in 5 will release our second annual report – “Building A Resilient Ontario: From Poverty Reduction to Economic Opportunity”. The report tracks the progress of the Ontario government in meeting its poverty reduction commitments.

The South entrance to the church is wheelchair accessible and there are accessible facilities on the main floor.  Light refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to Mary Micallef at (416) 351-0095 x 251 or email mmicallef@socialplanningtoronto.org

Given the complexity of the issues and constraints facing government on the Special Diet Allowance/Nutritional Supplement Program, our recommendation is that Ontario integrate its deliberations and a decision about this program into the upcoming Social Assistance Review.

We recognize that staff across your ministries have been working diligently over the past few months to try to create a new Nutritional Supplement Program that falls within the constraints the government is currently facing.

These constraints have been outlined to us as:

• Budget constraints arising from the current government deficit, continuing economic uncertainty, and a projection of rising costs;
• Questions around program accountability, as outlined by the Auditor General in a report of December 2009, and a desire to limit administrative costs;
• Restrictions arising from the decision of the Human Rights Tribunal’s decision of February 2010 and the April 2011 deadline on its extension of the systemic remedy requirements.

We can appreciate that the combination of these factors continues to hamper the straightforward and timely creation of a new Nutritional Supplement Program. Indeed, even evaluating the additional costs associated with therapeutic diets is complex enough to have taken considerable time and engagement in the past. For example, the creation of the Special Diet schedule in 1999, a process that engaged more than 20 dieticians with expertise in more than 15 areas, is said to have taken more than eight months. Likewise, the Special Diets Expert Review Committee, which provided detailed information and recommendations on the additional costs arising from the dietary needs associated with particular medical conditions, was engaged in 2006 but did not submit its report to government until 2008.

Given that your government is poised to announce the terms, duration of, and process for a review of social assistance programs, and given the intricacy of the issues and the constraints currently facing government, we feel that the most prudent and practical way forward is to include deliberations about and a final decision on a Nutritional Supplement Program within the upcoming Social Assistance Review. This would ensure that decisions on the Nutritional Supplement Program are not made in isolation but rather take into account the variety of associated issues surrounding Ontario’s social assistance programs.

Including this issue in the Review is also, in our view, an appropriate decision given the constraints that you have outlined to us, which we discuss below.

Download the entire submission in PDF version here.

Health Minister Deb Matthews will announce Friday that the “healthy smiles” program — costing taxpayers $45 million annually — is designed to help 130,000 kids aged 17 and under.

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2. Back in Session: Work to Do!
3. Still Waiting: Ontario’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy
4. More Barriers for Workers under Bill 68
5. Municipal Election 2010: Press Your Candidates on Social Services Cost Savings
6. Community Update: Windsor Gets Busy
7. 25 in 5 Co-Chair Takes “Put Food in the Budget” Challenge
8. The Federal Front: Red Tents hit Parliament Hill October 19