Niagara Network Calls On Ontario Government To Focus More Attention On Peoples’ Basic Needs

By Doug Draper

The Social Assistance Reform Network of Niagara, a not-for-profit body representing a host of agencies and organization, along with churches and individuals across the region, demanded more social justice for Niagara residents in need during an address one of its leader, Gracia Janes, presented to a standing committee of the government in Niagara Falls this Jan. 25.

Gracia Janes

Among the mesages Janes and the network presented to this standing committee were; * What is more important than an adequate income to provide healthy food for those in need and lower health costs in future? * How can children take full advantage of their schooling if they are hungry, and how can poor parents work if there are not enough child care spaces? * What good is served in adding provincial dollars to the OCB, while taking $s out of the basic benefit.? Don’t children live in families who need an adequate basic benefit in 7 order to feed, clothe and educate them ?

For a full text of Gracia Jane’s remarks to the provincial committee, read on.

THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE REFORM NETWORK OF NIAGARA

 A Network of Front Line Agencies, Organizations, Churches and Individuals -established in response to the 1988 Welfare Reforms of Judge George Thomson’s Social Assistance Review Commission – which merged with the Social Assistance Advisory Committee to the Region of Niagara’s Community Services Department in 2009

BRIEF to THE PROVINCIAL STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE & ECONOMIC AFFAIRS from THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE REFORM NETWORK OF NIAGARA Presented by Gracia Janes, Chair.

Excerpts from Brief to the Minister of Housing regarding the Draft Provincial Housing Plan December 31st, 2009 2. Public Health Agency of Canada, web story 19/01/10 1

Introduction: The Social Assistance Reform Network of Niagara ( SARNN) is comprised of several front line agencies, organizations and individuals from across Niagara, such as Oak Centre and Brighter Futures, Welland; Project Share, Niagara Falls; the St. Catharines and District Council of Women and Start Me Up Niagara, St. Catharines, and Port Cares, Port Colborne.

Our member groups and individuals have been working towards the realization of the social welfare reforms of Judge George Thomson’s Social Assistance Review Commission for 22 years and have presented our views on the need to invest in people and our Province’s healthy economic future many times to the Standing Committees of Finance and Economic Affairs of at least 4 different provincial governments and of three political persuasions, as well as to numerous relevant Ministers and Ministries. Our most recent briefs were sent to the Provincial Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 152, The Poverty Reduction Act, (April 2009) and to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs regarding the .Draft Long Term Housing Strategy (December 31st, 2009.)

We have also met with and presented briefs to Federal Members of Parliament. In December 2008, as the economic downturn began to gather strength, we commended the government for its plans to reduce family and child poverty by 25% over 5 years; invest in a Community Opportunity Fund; provide stable funding for rent banks and social housing infrastructure and repairs; make fairer welfare rules; enhance Employment Standards enforcement; and, remove RGI and OSAP barriers to financial independence.

In the spring of 2009, we commended the government for the speedy implementation of the increase in the OCB and the benefits’s transferability between work and social assistance income, but noted that the basic Ontario Works benefit was reduced so that the overall increase to families was minuscule.

Now, as the government moves slowly along its poverty reduction plan (path), “Breaking the Cycle: Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy” , we can commend it for its recent establishment of an Ontario Deprivation Index and a hands-on advisory committee to ensure their ‘Strategy’ meets the needs of low income Ontarians.

However, unfortunately, we appear to be even further away from achieving this latter goal and here in Niagara the picture is bleak. This is a community in crisis mode, whose regional and municipal governments, community front -line agencies, charities, and the general public are doing their best to cope, but need immediate help! 2 An Update on Conditions in Niagara Jobs : !

Between 2005 and 2009 Niagara lost 7,000 manufacturing jobs, which represented a 23% employment decline in this sector. Over 1,000 of these jobs were lost in 2009 (Region of Niagara report COM 15-2009, March 17th 2009 ) and GM is down to 1,700 employees. (Personal communication M.McNelis, former labour liaison St. Catharines and District United Way.) !

For the most part, Niagara’s jobless rate has been the second highest in Canada for over two years . While this situation may improve in the next year and a half due to an influx of Federal/Provincial infrastructure dollars, this is not a long term fix, and will not make up for the dramatic job losses in the manufacturing sector. And we hear from employment agencies and others that the ‘real’ unemployment rate is much higher. !

Low wage jobs are hard to access for the many skilled workers, and even the highly educated young workers find the going very difficult. For example, 3,500 people applied for 50 jobs at a new Rona store in Welland on January 12th (St. Catharines Standard. January 13th, 2009) ! Even before the sharp economic downturn, incomes in Niagara were below the Provincial average , and the heavy reliance on jobs in the tourism sector, with provincial plans for new large investments here, will not make up for the higher wage industrial sector jobs lost over the past few years, as many are part time and seasonal. !

Access to jobs between most parts of the Regions 12 communities is severely restricted for those without cars as there is no region-wide transit system and attempts to set one up have floundered for over 20 years. ! Last Friday the YWCA Niagara received word that funds for its very successful employment for women program in St. Catharines – the only one in the region geared towards the specific needs of women – would be cancelled, and the St. Catharines Job Gym program that was geared towards the needs of youth was cut as well.

Both of these Provincial cuts seem particularly counter-intuitive, given the lengthy and successful track record of these two agencies , and the ever growing employment needs of this the largest City in the region, where disadvantaged women and youth, along with older laid -off workers, stand at the back of the employment line-ups. ! Many people are running out of EI and for older workers the job market is almost impenetrable . Front-line agency workers report of increasing numbers of homes being lost as people fall behind on their mortgage payments and banks foreclose. 3 Social Assistance !

To qualify for social assistance, the above mentioned workers and others, who have been unable to find jobs must divest themselves of all but a pittance of their financial assets: i.e. $585 for singles, $1, 010 for a couple with no children; $1,005 for a single applicant with one child, $ 1,150 for a couple with one child. ! Region of Niagara Social Assistance case loads have increased 20% over the past year to 8,902 cases, which represents 17,834 people and 6,079 children, and the number of applications continue to steadily increase. and the average length of time people receive social assistance has lenthened over the past year from 13.5 months to 20 months- a sign of our worsening job situation (personal communication Niagara Community Services .January 19th 2010) !

Food Banks report increasing numbers of out-of-work families, some of whom used to give help to these agencies, accessing their services for the first time. ! Government clawbacks / cuts to the basic welfare rates for the family unit mean that despite the flow through of federal Child Tax Credit Benefit and the newly enhanced Ontario Child Benefit, families with children are still receiving less than they were 18 years ago in 1992 {National Council of Welfare -Welfare Incomes Over Time .Welfare Incomes 2006 and 2007 pg.65) And, a single parent with one child is over $5,000 l below the poverty line (Campaign 2000 2009 Poverty Report Card data.) ! Single individuals now receive $585 per month, which is only $65 more than the $520 they received 10 years ago in 1998 ( Regional Niagara COM 82-2001 and Ontario Works Rate Chart December 2009) and, more than 20% less than they received in the recession of the early 1990s. ( Advisors plan to fix Ontario’s welfare quagmire..Toronto Star editorial December 2nd, 2009) Housing ! “

As of November 1st, 2009 4,506 households, or 8,321 people were waiting for affordable housing which is a 19% increase in the number of affordable housing applications received over the past year , The wait list does not capture the full need for affordable housing in our region as many households in need of affordable housing do not bother to apply once they are aware of the long wait times ….. Many stay in substandard conditions or live in cramped , overcrowded environments , or pay in excess of their income for shelter, leaving little for basic needs” (Niagara Regional Housing response to Provincial consultation re: Ontario Long Term Affordable housing Strategy. December 2009. pg.3.) ! Most social assistance recipients pay well over 30% of thir income on rent and many pay over 50% .-often for sub standard housing. 4 !

Front line agencies back this latter point up and also report that due to provincial restrictions on what can be spent on shelter, and the fact that the basic shelter components are well below the market rents , case workers increasingly are required to ‘red flag’ recipients for paying too much and some are pressured into moving to cheaper, quarters that are often sub standard . One front-line worker reported that he knew of a mother who was only able to afford a unit that had exposed wiring.

 Other Community Needs and an Excellent Community Response Regarding other community services we note some of our issues of concern. For instance , there has been uncertainty regarding ongoing funding and long term investments in supportive housing, child care, mental health services, employment support programs and other programs. For instance, because of cuts to federal funding many child care spaces may be lost, and cooperative housing will face challenges as mortgages come due soon and Federal support runs out. In Niagara where families are fast losing jobs, it is crucial to have stability of funding and optimum investments for these and other services . We are fortunate in Niagara that our Regional Niagara government has invested in a Prosperity Initiative to the tune of almost $ 3 million between 2008 and 2010.

To date, 37 community development programs administered by a variety of community agencies are taking place in “at risk” neighborhoods of Niagara as the project advocates for communities and works to alleviate poverty fallout. eg.$100 food vouchers.

However, these programs change from year to year and are not region-wide. Given the depth of our economic crisis, the rapidly growing social assistance caseload and drain on other community services, as well as uncertain federal and provincial funding, it is unclear as to how long regional investments will continue. . The Need for Investments in Our Social Infrastructure /People Economists say that investments in people have huge economic benefits. For example, a 2008 University of Toronto study (Poverty is Making us Sick) showed that people in the bottom 20% of incomes in Ontario are more likely to have chronic health conditions and that a $1,000 change in annual income in the bottom fifth of the population would produce 10,000 fewer chronic conditions and 6,600 fewer disability days over a two week period. Put the food in the budget Advisory group meeting with minister Meilleur January 10th 2010).

 We urge this committee to recommend the following investments as supported by the: • 25 in 5 Network, Ontario Campaign 2000, Social Planning Network of Ontario (*) • ODSP Action Coalition (**) • Social Assistance Reform Network Niagara (***) 5 • Wellesley Institute **** • City of Hamilton***** ( MPP Ted Mc Meekin (proposed Private Member’s Bill 235 2007) ****** . ! a restoration of the of the Basic Needs Allowance to the levels of June 2009 , as requested by the City of Hamilton (Letter from Mayor Fred Eisenberger , October 29th 2009) **** ! a $100/month food supplement in 2010 to alleviate chronic cycles of hunger experienced by adults receiving social assistance *&*** ! an indexed Ontario Housing Benefit for all lower income families and adults to ensure that shelter costs do not exceed 30% of gross income * ! an immediate increase in the maximum Ontario Child Benefit payment to $1,500 per child (indexed) * ! the establishment of a Social Assistance Rates Board to set social assistance rates and processes for providing social assistance ..”that would consider , monthly basic needs rates that will enable benefit units to pay for…” “ e.g. nutritious food basket”… “additional expenses that may be incurred by persons with disabilities in order for them to participate fully in society.”Bill 235 proposed by MPP Ted McMeekin***** ! adequate core funding provided directly to child care centres and an improvement in the wages and benefits of child care workers as well as a development of a public investment plan to expand non-profit child care programs* ! designated funding to save threatened (federal) child care subsidies * ! dental, drug and vision coverage to low income workers * and preventative dental care for those receiving social assistance *** ! further increases in social assistance rates, tied to the rate of inflation, in order to pull people above the Low Income Cut Off (LICO) rate- as Newfoundland has managed to do, despite not having targets– and then to adequacy * & *** ! an increase in the minimum wage to a ‘living wage’. *** ! investments in mental health services for youth, and in many areas of Ontario such as Niagara, mental health centres for all ages, with a program to ensure that people get the help they need when coming back into the community *** ! initial and ongoing , substantive catch-up investments in affordable, accessible , appropriate housing , with a ten year goal of providing 750,000 new and 6 renovated homes , for which the Province shared costs should be $1billion per year . *** & **** ! immediate evaluation and renovation of existing housing stock so that its use is extended at least 40 years ! multi-year investments in public transit, which is particularly needed in areas such as Niagara, where many communities are rural and getting to public services, medical appointments, work, community events and friends and family are hard, and sometimes impossible to access for those on low income *** ! an allowance for retention of earned income, for those in receipt of social assistance, until a person is able to be truly independent. *** ! an investment in people with disabilities Too many people with disabilities live below the poverty lines and investments need to be significant, made early on in the Government strategy and include not just families and children , but also singles and couples. ** ! a cancellation of the recent cuts to YWCA and Job Gym employment programs ! a retention of assets for individuals of $5000 and families $10,000 Conclusion In conclusion, we urge you to think of these four “h’s, i.e. “health, hiring, housing and help (for those in need) ” as you advise the Government what key investments must be made in 2010 and over the long term , in order for our province, and the people who live here to live up to their full potential in a caring and prosperous society . We have heard from the Minister of Community and Social Services recently, that all Ministries must tighten their belts in the current crisis, and that her Ministry’s priorities are health, jobs and education, and we know that the poverty strategy’s emphasis is on children. (Put Food in the Budget January 20th 2010 meeting ) Therefore, we must ask the following questions: *

What is more important than an adequate income to provide healthy food for those in need and lower health costs in future? *

How can children take full advantage of their schooling if they are hungry, and how can poor parents work if there are not enough child care spaces? *

What good is served in adding provincial dollars to the OCB, while taking $s out of the basic benefit.? Don’t children live in families who need an adequate basic benefit in 7 order to feed, clothe and educate them ? *

How much attention should be paid to the medical experts, nurses, many municipalities such as Niagara and Hamilton and many other experts and community groups who have advocated for several years for adequacy of welfare rates in order to give the most vulnerable a decent standard of living and healthy lives? *

Why wouldn’t the government take advantage of the available savings provided by investments in affordable, accessible, appropriate housing? *

Why not break down the ministerial silos regarding expenditures and savings , when these costs and benefits accrue to multiple Ministries e.g. health, social services, housing, corrections, highways and transportation, etc. ? *

What would be the benefits of a long term cross-Ministry cost benefit analysis and and long term plan for investing ? *

What would be the financial benefits of taking advantage of the many jobs that can be created in the housing sector by making short and long term investments in affordable, accessible and appropriate housing and in housing upgrades.