Poverty In Ontario By: Crystal Renata SOCI 1501 October 2015 Nicole Miller

Issue: Poverty The amounts of assistance people receive to live is not enough to support even a basic level of dignity and life. Everyone deserves to live with an income level that doesn’t make a person have to choose between food for their family or paying the rent. It can be argued that the levels of money that one receives on Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is against our Seventh Right in the Candian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

My Desired Outcome I would like to educate people to why people are on assistance. I would like to educate people as to how challenging it is to make ends meet while on assistance. I will be starting a letter writing campaign to have the government look into the promises it made in Campaign 2000 in hopes that they will make the necessary adjustments. I would like to open the minds to the humanistic part behind those who are on assistance.

Poverty Poverty has been an issue for many years and there is no end in sight; even though the government unanimously voted to end childhood poverty by the Year 2000 (Campaign 2000) In a country such as Canada, We should not have people that have nowhere to live. We should not have people having to choose between food and rent. We should not just sweep people under a rock because they are a “drain on society.” We should, however, do what we can to help our fellow citizens. One horrific moment in your life and that person you despise could be YOU!

Cost Of Living Comparison bedroom - $ 575 average 2 bedroom - $ 850 average Monthly The average increase is approximately bedroom - $ 1, 300 average 2 bedroom - $ 1, 800 average Monthly 220% from

Food 1989 Bread/Loaf $0.69 Peanut Butter (500g) $1.74 Kraft Dinner/Box $0.50 The average increase is approximately 2015 Bread/Loaf$2.57 Peanut Butter (500g)$3.99 Kraft Dinner$ % between 1989 and 2015

Social Assistance Amounts Yearly Single, able-bodied - $ 6, 345 Single Disabled - $ 9, 189 Single, able, one child - $12, 539 Single, disabled, one child?? An average increase of Yearly Single, able-bodied - $ 7, 872 Single Disabled - $ 13,032 Single, able, one child - $ 11, 292 Singled, disabled, one child - $ 18, 144 approximately 130 %

Does Not Match! Simple Mathematics! There is a major difference between the 1989 costs of things, and the 2015 costs. There is a much smaller amount of increase in the income people who are living in poverty receive. There needs to be an increase in income that is closer to the cost of living expenses. If there is not an improvement, than the number of people living in poverty will only increase.

Canadian Charter Of Rights and Freedoms Section 7 says: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.” (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms).” In this we should expect that our individual psychological integrity be protected. That we the people are protected from the government inflicting harm on us as individuals. Inaction is the same as doing it themselves.

Common Sense From what I have been learning, it seems as though the housing crisis got worse when the government changed the laws around renting in Ontario. Landlords are now able to increase rents by what they choose between tenants. This has forced the rents up to amounts that landlords know people on assistance cannot afford. Although landlords cannot discriminate, that is exactly what they are doing. People believe that those on assistance are going to ruin their buildings and apartments and will not get the money back it took to fix them back up again. Not all people on assistance are going to ruin their housing, nor are better-off people not going to.

Possible Fixes I don’t think that it is just me, but why are we not raising the shelter costs to something that is closer to market rent? If people stay in poverty like conditions, it very likely will become a familial cycle. People are feeling like they are drowning and cannot get past the first level on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If they cannot get past that level, there is no hope. A person who is on ODSP and a single mother cannot afford to pay the $1,000 rent for a two bedroom in Oshawa when they are only given $750* for shelter costs. The difference in the amounts comes out of the basic needs part of their check; which is only another $750*. * approximate

Interesting!

This is why I don’t fit in! I am too much of an independent thinker! (*Vulgar Language*)

References Toronto Star January 1989, pg E14.