Windsor-Essex Voices Against Poverty, since forming in the late Spring of 2009, have been working to raise public awareness about the experiences of people living in poverty. They are also proposing concrete solutions that will lift people out of poverty. The Voices group has been working collaboratively with Pathway to Potential, as well as with provincial advocacy groups, to engage the broader community in a collective poverty reduction effort.
Voices Against Poverty
Blog post by Donna LaBonte
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Undocumented Workshop at the Art Gallery of Windsor held by the Border Book Mobile project. The main purpose of the group is too provide access on both sides of the border for immigrants and those people of lived experience of poverty to obtain documentation to enter either country. In this project the goal is to provide people access for cultural exchange and to give immigrants a view of both Windsor and Detroit.
Broken City Lab and Border Book Mobile Project are partners in the project with Creative Rights, and all groups want discussions on what laws immigrants and others would face in order to get a passport. Broken City Lab is in on the discussion to explore the cultural and artistic needs of each country. Creative Rights has offices in Detroit and Ann Arbor and is providing input on the legal issues from the U.S. standpoint. Border Book Mobile Project wants to gain input on how to obtain or find out what documentation is needed for those applying.
In this discussion the group focused on the immigration laws on the U.S. side. Creative Rights discussed how the process is uneven and how issues such as minor infractions affect the process. For older infractions it is easier to proceed with the passport process. This group wants to make the process easier by partnering with other groups like Pathway to Potential and Voices Against Poverty and Legal Assistance of Windsor for advocacy.
Since 2009, the only way for a person to travel across the border is to provide customs with an enhanced license or documentation. In future discussions the group is going to explore how people of lower income can obtain the necessary documentation, and which groups need to come to the table to provide input about the process.
In April the next meeting will be held at Broken City Lab’s office with more discussion.
Blog post by Lillian Gallant
Voices Against Poverty
March 9, 2013
On March 8, member of Voices Against Poverty attended a meeting with various communities all over Ontario, to develop a six point plan of action on poverty. This plan of action is based on “good faith”, the idea that we will work with dedicated elected officials toward social assistance reform that is fair, both to those living on the system and to those who are considered the working poor. At this point there has been no commitment to a poverty reduction strategy by our provincial government although Premier Wynne has stated she is dedicated to social justice issues. Poverty Free Ontario and allies suggested that now would be a good time to push for some proposed changes that would improve the lives of those living with poverty issues.
Six Point Plan based on Good Faith:
1. Rate increase for recipients of Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) **
2. Index the rates now (OW, ODSP) to mirror the increase to the cost-of-living
3. Do those (proposal 1 & proposal 2) without cuts to the existing benefits
4. Implement earnings exemptions now- allow for people to retain more of the money they earn.
5. Commit to plan which will raise the minimum wage to 10% above the poverty line **
**At present, because of the freeze to minimum wage and no indexing for those receiving social assistance, people are currently living 19% below the poverty line.
During the course of the daylong event various speakers did presentations on “good faith” ideas, aimed at the growing need for the six point plan. Some of the key ideas presented were; a need for solidarity for those living with poverty issues; increase in social assistance rates and minimum wage; rather than dismantling the social welfare system, change the current one as it is not broken, and; possible ways for the government to find money through various tax measures (not just personal taxes).
Voices Against Poverty and Pathway to Potential have both agreed to adapt the six point plan to move the poverty agenda forward and work towards change.
If you would like more information about the six point plan, please go to http://www.povertyfreeontario.ca/ of you can contact Voices Against Poverty at vap.windsor@gmail.com.
Pathway to Potential recently partnered with Voices Against Poverty to collect video impact statements of those with lived experience of poverty. The purpose of the videos is to inform Windsor-Essex about the vital role the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) has played in preventing homelessness and providing housing stability for those on social assistance.
On Monday, February 25, 2013 John Fraser from the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) met with service providers in Windsor to discuss housing rights and issues. CERA is a non-profit organization and has been around for approximately 25 years. They helped make the human rights code, they advocate to promote inclusiveness, they do a lot of public education in various cities, and they also work with the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO).
There are three levels of housing rights: at the international level we have The Universal Declaration of Human Rights(- 1948), which states that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family”; at the national level we have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects the right to “life, liberty and the security of the person”; and at the provincial level we have the Ontario Human Rights Code, which “applies to actions, policies, practices or laws that directly or indirectly discriminate based on one of the 16 ‘prohibited grounds’.”
Some of the housing issues around that service providers are seeing in Windsor-Essex include: lack of subsidized one-bedroom units and not enough 4-5 bedroom units, not enough accessible units, stigma around mental disabilities, discrimination against people on social assistance, racial and ethnicity discrimination, concentration of ownership (landlords), bed bugs, low incomes and high rent.
Some of the strategies currently being used in Windsor-Essex are: Family Services Windsor-Essex County’s bed bug program and housing search resources, co-ordination of homelessness programs such as the Long Term Affordable Housing Strategy, Legal Assistance of Windsor’s work to assist unrepresented tenants, CMHA has mental health advocates, Street Health’s Keep it Tidy program, which helps people search for apartments, and the Community University Partnership.
CERA is willing to work with Windsor to ensure homeless people have options, to look at the root causes of housing issues (e.g., adopting a health or mental health approach), providing education for landlords, and living wage advocacy.
Click here to view the official Women’s Studies site on the event.
Distinguished Visitor in Women’s Studies
Keynote address: Too Many Men on the Ice: What the world might look like if Don Cherry were a woman
What if a woman who spoke about the courageous fights women have every day – for equal pay, a harassment-free workplace, for reproductive choice, good daycare, for an end to violence against or as an executive – dressed up in brightly coloured clothes, was paid exorbitant amounts of money by the public broadcaster, and commanded the national airwaves?
What if opera, ballet, great concerts, or women’s soccer preempted the national news instead of hockey?
What would Canada look like?
What would the world look like?
G. Caboto ClubThe goal of the Remember the Day campaign is to make poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election. The campaign uses video shorts to highlight the reality that people do not choose to be poor.
We want people to remember these video shorts when they vote on Thursday, October 6, 2011. In support of Poverty Free Ontario‘s goal to make poverty an election issue. We support Poverty Free Ontario’s policy agenda to eradicate poverty in Ontario. Our hope is that this campaign will bring support to eradicating poverty and inspire other individuals and groups, both in our region and across the province, to create their own “Remember the Day” campaign.
The goal of the Remember the Day campaign is to make poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election. Our intention is to expose the realities of poverty across Ontario.
We want people to remember these myths and realities when they vote on Thursday, October 6, 2011. In support of Poverty Free Ontario‘s goal to make poverty an election issue, we support Poverty Free Ontario’s policy agenda to eradicate poverty in Ontario. Our hope is that this campaign will bring support to eradicating poverty and inspire other individuals and groups, both in our region and across the province, to create their own “Remember the Day” campaign.
Myth Busting is written by Lorena Garvey, Voices Against Poverty member.
Myth #5: People “choose” to be poor
People do not choose to be poor. There are many reasons as to why people are living in poverty. For instance Windsor and Essex county are tied to the highest unemployment rate in Ontario with 9.7% (January 2011). Another reason as to why people may be living in poverty could be because of an injury or illness that may prevent them from working. Also the people who are working on minimum wage have a high chance of living in poverty. Post secondary school students have a very high chance of being in poverty, if not at during the time they are attending, then when they have completed their college/university education and are left with school loans to pay back while seeking employment. Systemic conditions can be a big contributor that leads individuals and families that weren’t considered poor, into a situation where they are living below the poverty line. Some of the systemic conditions are the things that need to be done before they qualify for Ontario Works or ODSP, such as liquidating your assets, which includes selling your car, any RRSP, pre-paid funerals , trust funds etc. These systemic conditions are often contributors to deep poverty, which in turn, often leads families into generational poverty which can be very difficult, almost impossible, to pull one’s self out of poverty.
References:
http://www.workforcewindsoressex.com/need_to_know/windsorunemploymenjanuary2011/
http://www.isarc.ca/socialaudit2010.html
Myth #4: You can live off of minimum wage
Currently minimum wage is at $10.25/hour. Monthly before-tax income for a person earning minimum wage at 35 hours per week is $1,555. In Windsor and Essex county, renters as well as home owners spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The current average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Windsor CMA is $774 per month. This means that a person earning minimum wage at 35hrs a week will be spending 49% of their monthly income on housing. This leaves 51% of their income for utilities, food, transportation, and home supplies.
References:
http://www.weareunited.com/img/pdfs/annual-reports/2009wellbeingreport.pdf
Myth #3: Poor people need to be taught basic life skills like budgeting.
Many who live far below the poverty line must spend all or most of their income on basic needs. Anyone who manages to feed and clothe a family on a very limited income already has budgeting skills. 1 in 5 tenants in Windsor/Essex spend more then 50% of their income on rent.
References
United Way / Centraide Windsor-Essex County, 2009 Well-Being Report
Myth #2: Poor people don’t pay taxes.
Having to pay income tax starts far below the poverty line. Although people on Ontario Works don’t pay income tax on their social assistance, they still pay sales tax, GST and property taxes. Refundable credits reduce the cost of tax, but don’t cover the total tax paid.
References
Canada Revenue Agency, Line 145 Social Assistance
Myth #1: Social Assistance rates are too generous.
All Social assistance rates are well below the Low Income Cut-off. The highest rates are still 39% below; the lowest are 66% below the Low Income Cut-off.
References
Voices Against Poverty and Pathway to Potential would like to thank the media that has covered the Remember the Day campaign. The coverage is helping us achieve our goal of making poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election.
Click the links below to see the media coverage thus far.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The feature that highlights Ontario Works and poverty begins at the 10:25 mark of the video.
Article on Remember the Day campaign.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Article on Remember the Day launch.
Adam Vasey, Director of Pathway to Potential was interviewed on Tuesday, August 16 at 3:20pm by Rusty Thomson about the Remember the Day Campaign.
The feature on the Remember the Day campaign begins at the 4:40 mark of the video coverage.
Article on Remember the Day launch
The goal of the Remember the Day campaign is to make poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election. The campaign uses audio interviews with people with lived experience to highlight the realities of poverty.
We want people to remember these interview when they vote on Thursday, October 6, 2011. In support of Poverty Free Ontario‘s goal to make poverty an election issue. We support Poverty Free Ontario’s policy agenda to eradicate poverty in Ontario. Our hope is that this campaign will bring support to eradicating poverty and inspire other individuals and groups, both in our region and across the province, to create their own “Remember the Day” campaign.
Remember the Day Audio Interview:
Click here to listen to Lorena Garvey share her story.
Glen’s life changed from upper middle class to barely surviving on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Click here to hear Glen’s story.
Mary grew up middle class and her life changed after her divorce and disability. Click here to hear Mary tell her story.
Lynne’s life changed due to an abusive relationship. Click here to hear Lynne tell her story.
