poverty « Social Policy in Ontario

Posts Tagged ‘poverty’

Developing a costing for a basic income is not a neutral exercise

Tuesday, July 27th, 2021

Creating income floors for everyone in Canada is necessary and desirable, but basic income and income floor are not synonymous… Expanding and improving social assistance, increases in targeted tax credits and benefits, strengthening Employment Insurance, stronger labour standards, and investments in public services would be less costly, more effective, and have fewer negative consequences than the suggested basic income.

Tags: budget, disabilities, economy, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »

Violent, militarized park encampment clearings won’t end homelessness in Toronto. Here’s a human rights approach

Monday, July 26th, 2021

While encampments are not ideal, and are not a permanent solution to the crisis of homelessness, they must not be criminalized or removed until the governments can provide reasonable alternatives. When the City of Toronto cites health and safety concerns as a reason for encampment removal, we must remember that this is the result of a societal failure to provide access to housing, let alone running water, bathrooms, and other basic necessities needed to ensure the right to life — and good health during a pandemic.

Tags: budget, crime prevention, Health, homelessness, housing, ideology, mental Health, poverty
Posted in Inclusion Delivery System | No Comments »

The future of work in Ontario is at a crossroads. Will we ensure decent employment for all?

Monday, July 26th, 2021

The government has indicated the temporary wage enhancement for personal support workers will be made permanent, which is great news. It should also be expanded to include front-line housing, shelter and child-care staff — all of whom are inadequately compensated for their essential labour. Prioritizing investment in the non-profit sector — a feminized workforce that employs more than 800,000 women across Ontario — would also be a sensible policy decision

Tags: economy, ideology, participation, philanthropy, poverty, standard of living, women
Posted in Debates | No Comments »

Shaking up the systems: Fighting poverty in post-pandemic Canada

Saturday, July 24th, 2021

At the core of the questions raised by the NACP was the idea that we need structural change to reduce poverty in Canada… we offer a number of policy ideas that can help systematically reduce poverty… rooted in what the evidence tells us… the idea that everyone across Canada has the fundamental human right to live in dignity and participate fully in society, and it is the duty of all levels of government to respect, protect, and fulfill these rights.

Tags: budget, featured, ideology, participation, poverty, rights, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »

The City must work with people living in encampments – not evict them

Tuesday, June 29th, 2021

Leaving people out of the decisions that affect their lives so profoundly is part of the wrong-headed decision-making process that led us to encampments in the first place. All paths forward on encampments must involve the meaningful participation of the people who are living in them.

Tags: crime prevention, homelessness, housing, ideology, mental Health, participation, poverty, rights
Posted in Inclusion Debates | No Comments »

Life stabilization on a welfare income is impossible

Thursday, June 24th, 2021

… people’s lives cannot be stabilized without increasing social assistance rates. While they slowly starve, recipients will be required to “participate in prescribed employment and life stabilization assistance activities.” But there is no clear plan to show how local service delivery agents will be able to co-ordinate life stabilization services that are notoriously in short supply, such as affordable housing, counselling and mental health services. And adding names to years-long waiting lists does not stabilize anything. In fact, it can have the opposite effect.

Tags: budget, featured, Health, housing, ideology, mental Health, poverty
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »

The success of CERB is proof a universal basic income is doable and beneficial

Thursday, June 24th, 2021

A UBI is a government payment that tops up family income so that it modestly exceeds the poverty line, or low-income threshold. As households are able to generate more income on their own, UBI payments are scaled back and eventually discontinued. A UBI holds promise as our most powerful tool in eradicating poverty and solving the crisis of income inequality.

Tags: economy, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »

Beware Economists Bearing Policy Paradigms

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

The ideas dominant since the 1980s – variously called the Washington Consensus, market fundamentalism, or neoliberalism – originally gained traction because of the perceived failures of Keynesianism and excessive government regulation. But they took on a life of their own and produced highly financialized, unequal, and unstable economies that were unequipped to cope with today’s most significant challenges: climate change, social inclusion, and disruptive new technologies.

Tags: economy, featured, ideology, poverty, privatization, standard of living, tax
Posted in History | No Comments »

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Social Policy in Ontario