A self-described “grassroots, anti-poverty effort” called Raise the Rates Coalition has expressed “deep concern” over a joint press report from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and other social service associations. So, Raise the Rates Coalition responded with their press release in which the group suggests the Association of Municipalities of Ontario “critically fails to identify poverty-level social assistance rates as a primary driver of the province’s homelessness crisis.” Moreover, the group has called for action on four items to address the issues it has identified.
“While [the Association of Municipalities of Ontario] correctly identifies the growing scale of homelessness in Ontario, their proposed solutions ignore the most immediate cause—social assistance rates that condemn recipients to absolute poverty,” stated Ron Anicich, co-chair of the Raise The Rates Coalition in its release. “No amount of new housing alone will solve homelessness when Ontario Works recipients are expected to survive on $733 per month in a province where even a bachelor apartment costs triple that amount.”
While the group notes the emphasis on “needed housing investments” by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the company, the group suggests ODSP and Ontario Works recipients have “no choice but homelessness or deep housing insecurity” in their release.
“The Coalition notes that while [the Association of Municipalities of Ontario] calls for $13 billion in new, needed housing investments, they remain silent on the urgent need to raise social assistance rates that have lost over 40 per cent of their purchasing power since the Harris-era cuts of the ’90s. The ODSP rate of $1,368 per month and Ontario Works rate of $733 leave recipients with no choice but homelessness or deep housing insecurity.”
“[The Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s] reluctance to address social assistance rates as part of the scope of this research reflects a troubling disconnect from the reality faced by hundreds of thousands of Ontarians,” said Anicich in the release. “Municipal service managers across Ontario know that their shelters are filled with people receiving social assistance. They know their housing waiting lists are dominated by social assistance recipients. Yet, [the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s] report refuses to name this reality.”
“Municipalities cannot solve homelessness while ignoring the poverty enforced by provincial social assistance rates,” stated Anicich in the release. “[The Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s] voice could be powerful in demanding adequate rates. Instead, they’ve chosen to remain silent about this fundamental cause of the crisis they seek to address.”
So, Raise the Rates Coalition has called for action on four items:
“Raise The Rates Coalition calls for:
- Immediate doubling of social assistance rates
- Automatic annual increases tied to inflation
- Addition of a housing benefit that reflects actual market rents
- Recognition by [the Association of Municipalities of Ontario] that inadequate social assistance rates are a primary driver of homelessness.”
