The Poverty Project

Just one month of stories

2009-11-16T20:56:05-05:00

By Maggie Hughes I would like to bring attention to some of the effects of our social system that I have personally experienced or heard about in the past month. An elderly woman has a grown son on disability. Each month he spends an hour or two, or whatever it takes, trying to get money from her for food. There is loud arguing and the poor neighbours scurry out their doors to escape the racket....

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Why don't we want the poor to own anything?

2009-10-22T19:30:46-04:00

By Bob Wood John Stapleton is a well respected social policy expert. He has a new report that came out this week. It is called “Why don’t we want the poor to own anything? Our relentless social policy journey toward destitution for the 900,000 poorest people in Ontario.” The title says a lot. The report is about asset testing. Many reading this blog have direct experience with testing which...

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Affordable Housing Consultation Debriefing

2009-10-19T19:47:04-04:00

By Bob Wood When it comes to government consultation, I’m usually about as cynical as Rick Blaine, the Humphrey Bogart character in the movie Casablanca. “Play it again, Sam.” The McGuinty government has promised an affordable housing strategy and is talking with people around the province. Strategic thinking and listening are not usually touted as government strengths. But this time I’m feeling...

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Support McQuesten community garden

2009-10-19T19:35:33-04:00

By Patricia Reid This is a plea. I am begging everyone who is a Canadian resident to vote for our community garden project. Aviva Community Fund (supported by the insurance company) will be donating $500,000 for projects that will improve the life of Canadians. McQuesten, the neighbourhood where I live, has a struggling community garden and we desperately need funding. Your vote can put us over...

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There but for the grace of God...

2009-10-09T19:58:51-04:00

By Patricia Reid These are confusing times for so many people here in Hamilton. Many of us are struggling day to day to try to find ways to pay the bills and put food on the table and still maintain some semblance of self-esteem. What really saddens me is the narrow, self-righteous attitude displayed by some people who are in better straits than the rest of us. I have seen such attitudes for some...

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Hassled for quietly panhandling

2009-09-23T20:16:03-04:00

By Maggie Hughes Coming out of the market today, I saw a pan handler getting a ticket. This bothered me and a few others leaving the mall. Why? Because this particular pan handler was new to that location, and appeared to be just a nice guy down on his luck. I travel by that location several times, and I see numerous pan handlers there. Then there are those who you know have a dependency problem....

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Affordable housing is...

2009-09-22T19:00:10-04:00

By Bob Wood There has been a lot of talk about affordable housing in these parts lately. For several weeks, my little world was caught up in the visit of the Minister of Housing (his Parliamentary Assistant as it turned out) as part of a province-wide consultation on developing a long-term affordable housing strategy. More than 200 people attended that consultation on September 10 on the...

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If Royal Connaught units are only for working people, that's discrimination

2009-09-22T18:41:43-04:00

By Maggie HughesI was angered to hear CHCH report that a decision has been made to rent a two bedroom apartment in the Royal Connaught for $650 and make these units only available to those working and earning under $45,000. What?? Those on Ontario Disability Support Program live on less than $15,000 on disability and are not allowed in this building because they are considered “welfare” cases?...

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Fairness to tenants

2009-09-14T20:21:18-04:00

By Bob Wood Feel like getting out of town? The cottage life might not be as difficult to obtain as you think. In fact, it is easily available to you at King and Bay as the Regal Hotel undergoes what Hamilton Spectator reporter Nicole McIntyre called a “Muskoka Makeover.” (“It’s the Cottage Life at King and Bay streets” August 26). We in the Community Legal Clinics had a tough time with this story...

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Thoughts on a housing benefits

2009-08-28T21:19:49-04:00

By Bob Wood As mentioned in an earlier post, we need more affordable housing. It can and should be built. A quicker way to make housing more affordable would be through the provision of a housing benefit. What is a housing benefit? A housing benefit would be available to all low income Ontarians who pay more than 30 per cent of their income on rent. The benefit would pay an average of $119 per...

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Supplying the essentials for Hamilton’s Kids

2009-08-28T20:55:40-04:00

By Tom Cooper Fun radio and television commercials such as the popular “most wonderful time of the year” jingle remind us that it is almost back to school time once again. For many children and their parents it is a chance for a fresh start: kids look forward to a new school year and purchasing new clothes and new school supplies. School supplies are essential for learning. Unfortunately, many...

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Make rental housing affordable

2009-08-24T23:03:38-04:00

By Bob Wood There was a time when you could pretty much find affordable rental housing in Hamilton even if your income was low.In the early ’90s, rent for a one bedroom apartment averaged $400 per month. The amount unattached people living on assistance received for shelter was $414. Families fared better. Two bedrooms went for $522 on average. The shelter allowance was $707 per month for a...

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Trying to live with MS...

2009-08-19T20:24:30-04:00

By Maggie Hughes Everyone is different when it comes to neuromuscular diseases, but I will try to explain my dealings with MS (multiple sclerosis). Perhaps it will challenge some of the assumptions people make about those with disabilities and what they should or shouldn’t be able to do. Neuromuscular diseases are invisible, like poverty, and the two are often linked. Each week, things get a bit...

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Opportunity to reform temporary foreign workers' programs

2009-08-07T22:28:30-04:00

By Bob Wood Earlier this year I attended a conference hosted by the Migrant Worker Family Resource Centre where I learned a lot about temporary workers — temporary residents who enter Canada to work and are issued a work permit. There are four different programs for temporary workers. The two best known are the Live-In-Caregiver and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programs. Ninety-one-thousand...

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Hope from Hope food drive update

2009-07-30T22:26:27-04:00

By Sharon Cruickshanks UPDATE: Our third annual Hope from Hope Food Drive and Challenge is nearing the end. Although food donations are down this year — not surprising with our bleak economic situation — I wanted to share a few heartwarming stories. It seems that those who could help this year have been more than generous. One lady on Hope Avenue not only donated a full box of food, but also...

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