blake 3:17
31st October 2012, 00:57
From the Ontario Coalition Poverty:
Follow Poverty Makes Us Sick on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/KWPMUS
They are going to release a statement on their website later today along
with an update: http://povertymakesussick.wordpress.com/
BREAKING NEWS
An emergency storm shelter was set up today in the constituency office of
MPP John Milloy, Minister of Community and Social Services. Concerned
community members, associated with Poverty Makes Us Sick, the Alliance
Against Poverty and Common Cause KW, entered the office at 2:30 ready with
mattresses, a first aid kit, flashlights and other equipment. John Milloy
was not in on the plan, however. Alison Murray of Poverty Makes Us Sick
explained: “With the proposed cancellation of Community Start-Up and
Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB), creative solutions for housing and shelter
are needed. The recent storm warnings highlight the vulnerability of
people who are under-housed.”
Participants say that the peaceful action was a sincere effort to create a
shelter and that it was also an attempt to illustrate the distopian
realities that, they say, await us all if these cuts go through as
planned. Phil Diceanu explains, “The cuts of the CSUMB will cause wide
reaching and long lasting damage to people and communities in Waterloo
region, where quality and affordable housing is in high demand.”
With 16,000 people across Ontario accessing this homelessness prevention
benefit each month, the planned cancellation of the CSUMB has been decried
by unions such as CUPE and anti-poverty advocates alike. Social assistance
recipients, perhaps, have no better allies than municipal governments, who
have been tasked with picking up the slack after the cuts. Municipalities
across the province have spoken against the cuts, with many facing their
own deficits and unable to take on the great responsibility of keeping
people housed. On July 12, 2012, Metronews.ca reported:
David Dirks, director of social services, employment and income support
with the Region of Waterloo, said the cuts mean a massive shortfall. Right
now, about 17,000 people in the region are assisted through Ontario Works.
Last year, the region issued $2.33 million for the startup and maintenance
benefit, which is cost-shared with the province. The region’s share was
about $400,000. “This has significant impacts,” Dirks said. Combined with
changes to the discretionary benefits program, for things such as medical
expenses, Dirks said the region would have a multi-million dollar
shortfall next year for Ontario Works and disability.
Niagara Region has taken steps to refuse to accept the cuts, while the
City of Kawartha Lakes council has decided to take on the full burden of
the new expense to keep their people housed and living in safety.
“The cancellation of the CSUMB comes at a time of transition in KW. We see
rapid gentrification with landlords turning on their low-income tenants to
pursue the big pay-offs of selling to developers” says Reverend Oz
Cole-Arnal of the Alliance Against Poverty.
Ian Stumpf of Poverty Makes Us Sick, paints a grim portrait of a
cash-strapped municipality: “Property taxes were raised 1.4% in the recent
municipal budget with all of that money going into the growing police
budget. The province had plenty of cash for the new mega-courthouse that
dominates our skyline. So, we have to ask, is prison the new homelessness
prevention program? Is the mega-courthouse the new case worker?”
Sandy may have passed us over, but another storm is brewing.
-------------------
Background on the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB)
The CSUMB helps over 16,000 people every month in Ontario. Due to the
sub-poverty rates for Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability
Support Program (ODSP), it is one of the only ways that people on OW or
the ODSP can cover the costs of moving, save their housing or even obtain
the basic items needed to maintain a home. It is a defense against
homelessness and a means by which many women are able to leave situations
of domestic violence.
The Liberal government’s 2012 budget brought a number of regressive cuts
to social assistance, including to the Community Start Up, slated for
elimination in 2013.
Follow Poverty Makes Us Sick on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/KWPMUS
They are going to release a statement on their website later today along
with an update: http://povertymakesussick.wordpress.com/
BREAKING NEWS
An emergency storm shelter was set up today in the constituency office of
MPP John Milloy, Minister of Community and Social Services. Concerned
community members, associated with Poverty Makes Us Sick, the Alliance
Against Poverty and Common Cause KW, entered the office at 2:30 ready with
mattresses, a first aid kit, flashlights and other equipment. John Milloy
was not in on the plan, however. Alison Murray of Poverty Makes Us Sick
explained: “With the proposed cancellation of Community Start-Up and
Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB), creative solutions for housing and shelter
are needed. The recent storm warnings highlight the vulnerability of
people who are under-housed.”
Participants say that the peaceful action was a sincere effort to create a
shelter and that it was also an attempt to illustrate the distopian
realities that, they say, await us all if these cuts go through as
planned. Phil Diceanu explains, “The cuts of the CSUMB will cause wide
reaching and long lasting damage to people and communities in Waterloo
region, where quality and affordable housing is in high demand.”
With 16,000 people across Ontario accessing this homelessness prevention
benefit each month, the planned cancellation of the CSUMB has been decried
by unions such as CUPE and anti-poverty advocates alike. Social assistance
recipients, perhaps, have no better allies than municipal governments, who
have been tasked with picking up the slack after the cuts. Municipalities
across the province have spoken against the cuts, with many facing their
own deficits and unable to take on the great responsibility of keeping
people housed. On July 12, 2012, Metronews.ca reported:
David Dirks, director of social services, employment and income support
with the Region of Waterloo, said the cuts mean a massive shortfall. Right
now, about 17,000 people in the region are assisted through Ontario Works.
Last year, the region issued $2.33 million for the startup and maintenance
benefit, which is cost-shared with the province. The region’s share was
about $400,000. “This has significant impacts,” Dirks said. Combined with
changes to the discretionary benefits program, for things such as medical
expenses, Dirks said the region would have a multi-million dollar
shortfall next year for Ontario Works and disability.
Niagara Region has taken steps to refuse to accept the cuts, while the
City of Kawartha Lakes council has decided to take on the full burden of
the new expense to keep their people housed and living in safety.
“The cancellation of the CSUMB comes at a time of transition in KW. We see
rapid gentrification with landlords turning on their low-income tenants to
pursue the big pay-offs of selling to developers” says Reverend Oz
Cole-Arnal of the Alliance Against Poverty.
Ian Stumpf of Poverty Makes Us Sick, paints a grim portrait of a
cash-strapped municipality: “Property taxes were raised 1.4% in the recent
municipal budget with all of that money going into the growing police
budget. The province had plenty of cash for the new mega-courthouse that
dominates our skyline. So, we have to ask, is prison the new homelessness
prevention program? Is the mega-courthouse the new case worker?”
Sandy may have passed us over, but another storm is brewing.
-------------------
Background on the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB)
The CSUMB helps over 16,000 people every month in Ontario. Due to the
sub-poverty rates for Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability
Support Program (ODSP), it is one of the only ways that people on OW or
the ODSP can cover the costs of moving, save their housing or even obtain
the basic items needed to maintain a home. It is a defense against
homelessness and a means by which many women are able to leave situations
of domestic violence.
The Liberal government’s 2012 budget brought a number of regressive cuts
to social assistance, including to the Community Start Up, slated for
elimination in 2013.