Ending Poverty in Ontario

Community Project Profiles

Windsor

Our partner - Legal Assistance Windsor - decided to focus the project initially in two low-income neighbourhoods. Following our workshop in June 2008, they continued meeting with social housing residents in the two neighbourhoods and identified key issues that interested residents: inadequate housing and knowing your legal rights.

Legal Assistance Windsor linked the work to province wide advocacy work by encouraging and assisting local residents to attend anti-poverty events organized by the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction and the Colour of Poverty Campaign. They then initiated working groups in an additional three low-income neighbourhoods. Working with social work and law students they conducted surveys and hold legal clinics with low-income residents to address individual needs while identifying broader systemic issues. In 2009 these groups were brought together and they formed “Windsor Essex Voices Against Poverty”.

Meanwhile, a community round table was set up-Pathways to Potential- and the “Windsor Essex Pathways to Potential Poverty Reduction Strategy” was released in December 2008. Members of Windsor Essex Voices Against Poverty are now represented on all of the subcommittees of this table (ie. Income supports, affordable housing, child care, health, education & skills).

The group is actively linked to province wide anti poverty initiatives. In June 2009 they had 50 person meeting re Do the Math and have been since trying to meet with local MPPs to do this exercise with them. Voices has been active on EI issues with a petition drive & participation in a local forum. Voices members had a strong presence at the July 15 Windsor Housing consultation with the Housing Minister. Using a workshop format developed by Jacquie Maund (Campaign 2000) and facilitated by Jennefer Laidley (ISAC), Voices held a  workshop on Social Assistance review issues in September 2009.   The report with 8 key recommendations is being presented to local agencies and organizations, turned into a brochure, and sent to MCSS Minister and members of the new Social Assistance Review Advisory Committee.  Following some training the group plans to present the report to the Windsor Poverty Roundtable and meet with their 3 local MPPs about it.

Ottawa

Following our English workshop in Ottawa in May 2008 and a French workshop, a new group was formed called the “Ottawa Poverty Reduction Network” (OPRN) that includes service providers and low income people.  Our “Ending Poverty Project” local partners are a sub-committee of this Network and include a representative from each of the following: Child and Youth Health Network of Eastern Ontario, the Coalition of Community and Health Centres of Ottawa, Canadian Mental Health Association - Ottawa and the Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness. 

When government consultations began on the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy, this Network organized a large community meeting of 200 people in June 2008 to provide input. A report was produced (titled “… something left at the end of the month”) and delivered to local MPs, MPPs, the Mayor, city councilors and the Ottawa Poverty Advisory Committee to Council. This report provided the impetus for the decision by City Council to develop an Ottawa Poverty Reduction Strategy in consultation with the community. OPRN was asked to provide 2 representatives to a community-based steering committee so Bob Maher (with lived experience of poverty) and Helene Menard (a service provider) joined the committee. The OPRN also gave a pre-budget presentation to the Finance Minister and shared our project report “Solutions Start with Us” with community groups.

In 2009 OPRN held a June 22 update meeting with 40  low income people to encourage input to Ottawa consultations on  municipal Poverty Reduction Strategy  and  to the July 27 Ottawa housing consultation with Minister Watson.  Jacquie Maund gave an update on provincial poverty reduction work and campaigns.  OPRN then actively supported low income people to participate (i.e. provided training, transit, child care) and secured an excellent turn out of low income people for the packed July 27 Housing meeting.

OPRN has 2 co-chairs and meets on a monthly basis. During fall 2009 OPRN was very involved with the development of Ottawa’s municipal Poverty Reduction Strategy providing input and supporting low income people to attend the consultations. Ottawa’s Poverty Reduction Strategy has now been passed by Council.   OPRN members are participating in a lobby of local MPPs and MPs on poverty issues.

Our local partners credit funding from the Ending Poverty Project and the required accountability for helping to formalize their anti poverty work into the Ottawa Poverty Reduction Network. 

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