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1. Safianaz Naik (101351103)
2. Jihyeon Kwon (101300749)
3. Yanxi Lin (101282304)
4. Magdalena Filipowich (100920492)
5.Yuke Shen(101269102)

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Find recent statistics explaining Canada's poverty rates

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- The most current statistics of Canada's poverty rate are available are from 2018.
- According to the data, 1 in 9 people in Canada live in poverty.
- These include - persons with disabilities, children, recent immigrants, persons in sole-caregiver families and First Nations People living on a reserve.
- indicators of poverty - food insecurity, housing and the percentage of people in deep poverty.

Reference-
Ontario Department of Employment and Social Development. (2021, June 15). Building Understanding: The First Report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/poverty-reduction/national-advisory-council/reports/2020-annual.html

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Executive summary

In August 2018, the Government of Canada announced Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The Strategy included a commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal's target of reducing poverty by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2030. Opportunity for All included the adoption of the Market Basket Measure (MBM) as Canada's Official Poverty Line and the creation of the National Advisory Council on Poverty (Council) to report on progress made toward the poverty reduction targets.

This is the first report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. It continues Canada's discussion on poverty by bringing forward the voices of individuals with lived expertise of poverty. It details progress toward our poverty targets and recommends improvements to our poverty reduction efforts.

Poverty in Canada

Statistics Canada calculates the Market Basket Measure, Canada's Official Poverty Line, using data from the Canadian Income Survey. There is a 2-year lag between when Statistics Canada administers the survey and when the data becomes available. The most current statistics available are from 2018.

According to the data, 1 in 9 people in Canada live in poverty. Some groups have disproportionately high levels of poverty, including, unattached individuals, persons with disabilities, children, recent immigrants, persons in sole-caregiver families and First Nations People living on a reserve. The impacts of poverty are particularly profound for women and individuals who belong to more than one at-risk group. Statistics Canada reports other indicators of poverty on Canada's Poverty Dashboard in addition to the Market Based Measure. This includes food insecurity, housing and the percentage of people in deep poverty. However, federal survey data cannot always be disaggregated to enable reporting for some of the most marginalized and under-served individuals, including Indigenous people living on a reserve, racialized people and LGBTQ2S individuals.

What we heard

In March 2020, we began an engagement to hear from individuals with lived expertise of poverty. We believe it is important that the people most affected by decisions are able to inform those decisions. We also included service providers, government personnel and other interested parties in our consultations. We ended our engagement prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, planned consultations in central and eastern Canada had to be cancelled. These consultations were to focus on racialized groups, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals and children and youth. This report, therefore, is incomplete. We will address those shortcomings in next year's report.

We met over 200 individuals. They told us poverty is personal and that their identity, background, past experiences, health and other factors influence their experience of poverty. Regardless of differences, poverty leaves a lasting impact and imprint on the lives of those for whom it is, or was, a daily reality. We heard from individuals with lived expertise about their experiences living without income and lacking resources to maintain basic needs like food and shelter. In each of the communities we were struck by stories regarding the stigma of poverty and the guilt and shame associated with living in poverty. The experiences that were shared, told of discrimination and feelings of being invisible, devalued, or ignored, not only within society, but also when using services.

We asked individuals with lived expertise what works to decrease the impact of poverty. They emphasized the importance of having agency and choice. They also emphasized the need for programs that are based on mutual trust, are culturally safe and include wraparound supports to address the multiple and complex barriers many individuals and families living in poverty face. Participants stressed the need to invest in proven solutions, such as affordable housing, education and child care and to improve inclusion for marginalized populations and education and training for employers and service providers.

Report on progress

Between 2015 and 2018, the percentage of the population living below the official poverty line decreased by 21.5%. There were reductions in poverty in every province. If the progress is continued and sustained, the Government will meet its poverty reduction target of a 20% decrease by 2020. Despite the overall decrease in people living below the official poverty line, there has been an increase in food insecurity, a decrease in literacy and numeracy and a small rise in unmet housing needs. In addition, those living in poverty are further below the poverty line. These findings indicate that more must be done to reduce poverty in Canada.

We are unable to adequately report on how equitable poverty reduction has been. There were decreases in poverty in all groups measured by Canada's Official Poverty Line. However, data limitations make it impossible to assess in detail whether progress has been observed for some of the most marginalized groups, including racialized populations, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ2S individuals.

COVID-19

A few weeks after we started collecting evidence for this report, all that we knew about poverty would rapidly change due to COVID-19. The full effects of the crisis on Canadians living in poverty will not be known for some time. This includes how it will affect poverty rates and Canada's efforts towards meeting its poverty reduction goals. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and the government's response continues to evolve.

We do know, however, that the pandemic has exposed gaps and vulnerabilities in our social safety net, particularly in the Employment Insurance program. It has made it impossible to ignore the harsh realities that the most marginalized members of our society face every day.

Joblessness puts pressure on many Canadian families, particularly those family types that were already at higher risk for living in poverty. The sudden closure of most in person supports and services for marginalized Canadians left many people with nowhere to turn to for the essential services relied on.

The pandemic has created an environment for change. Rather than simply returning to the pre-pandemic status quo, we can instead develop a more equal, healthy, purposeful and resilient society. This would involve building more responsive systems that include targeted policies for at-risk populations and are at a level that is sufficient to keep people out of poverty.

Recommendations

As a council, we have been tasked with reporting on the Government of Canada's progress and to continue a national dialogue on poverty. We have also chosen to offer some recommendations based on our experience over the past year.

1. The federal government's Poverty Reduction Strategy is already showing promising results in meeting Canada's commitment to reduce poverty by 20% by the year 2020. From 2015 to 2018, the overall poverty rate in Canada fell from 14.5% to 11% of people living under Canada's Official Poverty Line. The Government of Canada has invested in a number of areas that help to reduce poverty. These include current and planned investments in the National Housing Strategy, Reaching Home, the acquisition fund, infrastructure, disability benefits, as well as the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and supports for before school and after school clubs. However, the overall poverty rate, while moving in the right direction, does not tell the whole story. To appreciate the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, one must consider the entire poverty dashboard of indicators. It reveals that progress in certain areas has been slow or non-existent. Rates of food insecurity, unmet housing needs, and literacy and numeracy rates indicate a need for immediate action. In this context:

the Government of Canada should continue with the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and with its current government-wide investments

the Government of Canada should focus additional investments in 4 areas where progress is falling behind: food security, housing and homelessness, literacy and numeracy and the poverty gap

2. As acknowledged throughout our report and in Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy, poverty in Indigenous communities is an outcome of colonialization and government policies. As a result, the Government of Canada has committed to a nation-to-nation, government-to-government and Inuit-Crown relationship with First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Based on the principles that those commitments were founded on, collaborative work is underway to reduce poverty in Indigenous communities. However, progress remains slow and poverty rates among Indigenous people living in urban, rural and remote settings remains very high compared to the general population

The Government of Canada should take urgent action to support Indigenous leaders to reduce poverty in their communities and to ensure they have all the resources available to support their own people in their own way. We specifically recommend the co-development of Indigenous indicators of poverty, as committed to in the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the co-development of a range of Indigenous poverty reduction strategies such as distinctions-based housing strategies, as committed to in the National Housing Strategy and commitments made through the Indigenous early learning and child care agreements

The data necessary to be able to report on Indigenous people should be made available to report on by our next progress report in 2021

3. We heard that the experience of poverty is different for everyone and is influenced by identity, background, past experiences, health, privilege and many other factors. However, data limitations mean that marginalized populations are often uncounted or undercounted for in the Government of Canada's statistics. Our assessment and reporting for this report were hampered by our inability to disaggregate data. We saw that many people were excluded or silenced through a failure to collect data, to ask inclusive questions, or to engage with them in program and policy development. The silencing of their voices leaves those who are the most marginalized and underserved out of the conversation

All Statistics Canada and federal population-based surveys should ask inclusive questions and provide inclusive response options on women and gender equity, Indigenous heritage, immigration/refugee status, race/ethnicity, disability, prior or current institutionalization, sexual orientation and gender identity, to allow for routine disaggregation of data to support better decision making and reporting of poverty disparities

The Government of Canada should work with stakeholders and communities to ensure that any new survey questions and response options regarding race, gender identity and sexual orientation are inclusive and that the questions reach the populations that are currently not captured

4. We heard from individuals with lived expertise of poverty that discrimination, racism, anti-Black racism and stigma are among the main causes of poverty. Persons with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups, LGBTQ2S individuals and many others remain at a high risk of living in poverty compared to the general population
The Government of Canada should incorporate an equity lens when it reviews, develops and implements strategies, policies and programs. It should ensure Canada's poverty reduction efforts work as well for those at the highest risk as for everyone else and meets the unique needs of marginalized populations, including immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals and people experiencing homelessness. The Government should also use available data to transparently report on the use of the equity lens and the outcomes

5. During the pandemic, the Government of Canada moved quickly to fill gaps in the social safety net and to provide direct support to families and individuals. Early data indicates that women, youth, children, less educated workers, recent immigrants, racialized individuals, informal workers who do not have a job with benefits and temporary employees on short-term contracts with no job security have been hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was an emphasis on providing low barrier, broad-based support and with less onerous application processes. At present, there is a unique opportunity to consider the lessons learned from this crisis and to rebuild and recover in such a way that capitalizes on opportunities for a more vibrant, resilient and sustainable economy while improving both the social safety net and proactive initiatives to prevent poverty by creating supportive social environments across the life course

The Government of Canada should collaborate with provinces and territories to build on its COVID-19 response and strengthen existing strategies, programs and policies to ensure a coordinated robust social safety net in Canada by collectively providing income support that is at least at the level of Canada's Official Poverty Line

We recommend that benefits be streamlined and simplified to make them low barrier, easier to access and easy to tailor to individual needs

Dedication

We dedicate this 2020 progress report to all those courageous people who shared their stories, successes and struggles with the Council in the hope that we would in turn share them across Canada. You are at the heart of this report. Thank you for your time, insight and resilience.

Message from the Chair

It is my honour and pleasure to present, on behalf of the National Advisory Council on Poverty (NACP) our 2020 report on the progress of Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. Consistent with our values, throughout this report, we seek to bring forward the diverse voices of over 200 individuals with lived expertise that we had the privilege of hearing from during our engagement sessions; we look at the big picture and shed light on the structural barriers that keep people from exiting poverty; and, we prioritize equity, inclusion and compassion in our analysis and recommendations.

Poverty is scary, it means something different to everybody, to some it is a loss of freedom and good choices, to others it is hungry bellies or sleeping rough, not being able to buy your daughter a Barbie, or to always be worried about making rent. You probably all have your own definition. Poverty is a soul crushing daily reality for far too many individuals across Canada.

The Council recognizes that poverty reduction and ultimately eradication - requires strong partnerships. When efforts at all levels are aligned, complimentary and interwoven positive policies can lead to successful and sustainable programs. Poverty can't simply be solved, we must learn our way out of it, which is what the Council set out to do.

In March 2020 members of NACP began a coast to coast-to-coast engagement dialogue on poverty. We had the privilege of hearing from individuals with lived expertise, stakeholders and service providers in Surrey, Abbotsford, Vancouver, Yellowknife, Edmonton, Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Winnipeg about their experiences of poverty and their efforts toward poverty reduction.

We witnessed amazing resilience, mental fortitude and deep caring along the way. Beautiful souls, who shared their journey, their hardships and their triumphs. These incredible people dedicate themselves to supporting each other in their communities through the never-ending grind of poverty.

Unfortunately, mid-way through these engagement sessions, the world changed dramatically. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Council to postpone visits to central and eastern Canada. As a result, there are many voices, perspectives and stories missing from this document. In this context, this report is about the government's progress towards poverty reduction since the release of Opportunity for All, but it is also about the changes COVID-19 has forced upon us and how we move forward as a country from this crisis to build back a better "next normal" that doesn't leave anyone behind, because much like our collective response to COVID-19, none of us are safe, until we are all safe.

Thank you,
Scott MacAfee

Chapter 1 - Background

Poverty defined

According to Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy, poverty is the condition of a person who is deprived of the resources, means, choices and power necessary to acquire and maintain a basic level of living standards and to facilitate integration and participation in society. As a council, we agree with this broad definition of poverty. We also feel that a more comprehensive definition would highlight the feelings of disempowerment, disconnection from society and lack of control that characterise poverty. This is in line with the United Nations definition of poverty. A comprehensive definition of poverty reminds us that poverty reduction is about more than making sure that people have enough money to buy healthy, nutritious food or to secure safe housing. Poverty reduction is about ensuring that all people living in Canada have the right resources to be healthy and to thrive, to feel included and to feel they have control of their lives.

Global efforts to reduce poverty

The United Nations has led efforts to set poverty reduction targets at a global level through the Sustainable Development Goals. These goals aim to reduce the proportion of people living in poverty by half by 2030, with an overall goal of no poverty. The Government of Canada has committed to achieving this goal and has developed a Poverty Reduction Strategy, Opportunity for All, to help reach it.

Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy

Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy was designed to bring together new and existing government investments and to set the foundation for future government investments in poverty reduction.

National Advisory Council on Poverty Progress Report 2020

Created as part of Opportunity for All, the National Advisory Council on Poverty brings together a diverse group of 10 dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable members from across Canada. We are individuals with lived expertise, leaders, experts, academics and practitioners from across the field of poverty reduction. Visit the National Advisory Council on Poverty website for additional information about our members and our terms of reference. This is our first report on progress.

Chapter 2 - Poverty in Canada

Number of people living in poverty

Statistical data can provide important information for decision-making about the number of people living in poverty, the populations that are at highest risk, the impact of government interventions and whether things are improving or not over time. In this chapter, we will provide a brief snapshot of poverty in Canada, using Canada's Official Poverty Line.

As a council, we heard from those with lived expertise that poverty is a constant struggle. We also heard that the experience of poverty varies from person to person; it does not have 1 definition and no 2 people experience poverty the same way. It is influenced by a person's identity, background, past experiences, health, privilege and other factors. As a result, capturing the diverse and deeply challenging experience of living in poverty through data alone is not possible. Statistics alone cannot tell us about what it means to live in poverty.

Marginalized groups

Throughout this report we refer to a number of populations that are underserved, marginalized, over looked and that face high levels of discrimination, racism and stigma. These include Indigenous people, immigrants, refugees, individuals who identify as members of ethno-cultural, Black and other racialized populations, LGBTQ2S people, persons with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, children and youth in care, people living in institutions and people living in remote areas. When we refer to marginalized groups, these are the people we are referring to.

How poverty is measured

Although an Individual's income level and poverty experiences are not the same, income level is often used as a proxy measure for poverty. With the passing of the Poverty Reduction Act in June 2019, Canada's official measure of poverty, Canada's Official Poverty Line, was entrenched into law. Canada's Official Poverty Line is based on the Market Basket Measure (MBM), which is based on the cost of a basket of goods and services that individuals and families require to meet their basic needs and achieve a modest standard of living in communities across the country.

What we know about poverty in Canada

The poverty rate in 2018 was 11% based on Canada's Official Poverty Line. This means that 3.98 million Canadians, or 1 in 9, were living in poverty in 2018. In order to reduce poverty to meet the targets set out in Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy and to ensure that poverty reductions measures are equitable and reach the most underserved and marginalized Canadians, it is important to understand who the 3.98 million Canadians living in poverty are.

Poverty is more likely to affect some groups than others. Factors such as sex, gender identity, family composition, immigration status, disabilities, institutionalization, exposure to violence, racism, anti-Black racism, ableism, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia and location all play a role. Because of colonialism, past and present, Indigenous people are at high risk.

Marginalized groups face economic barriers, racism and discrimination and are more likely to live in poverty. Unfortunately, as shown in the table below, the Canadian Income Survey does not capture the experience of many of these subpopulations.

Group

Number in poverty

Poverty rate

Unattached individuals (18 to 64 years old)

1,428,000

34.6% (males)
36.7% (females)

People in sole-caregiver families

417,000

28.6% (female-led)
14.1% (male-led)

Recent immigrants

445,000

26.0% (0 to 4 years in Canada)
14.4% (5 to 9 years in Canada)

Focusing on 1 identifier (such as gender, race or disability) allows us to consider how poverty affects different people in different ways.However, people are varied and complex. These identifiers are overlapping and multiple, and failing to consider these intersections gives us an incomplete understanding of poverty. Many of the most marginalized and vulnerable people in Canadian society are those who face intersecting barriers based on their ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender, and age. A more comprehensive measure of poverty would highlight much more nuance. This would enable governments to better understand at risk groups and develop policies to support the most marginalized people. For this reason, it is so important to be able to disaggregate data. Below we have identified those groups with the highest incidence of poverty, as illustrated in the table above.

Women

In 2018, for the first time, the poverty rate for women (10.9%) was lower than the rate for men (11.1%). Although at first glance this looks positive, the Market Basket Measure is based on economic family and not individual income. Further examination of the data indicates that the income gap between men and women persists and is most pronounced during child rearing years when women are significantly more likely than men to stay home, particularly while their children are pre-schoolers. Moreover, the median hourly wage for women has been consistently lower than that for men over the past decade. In 2009, the median hourly wage for women was $3.93 less than men and this gap had increased to $4.00 in 2019.

Further, although the poverty rate among women has improved, the poverty rate among women with intersecting identifiers (such as immigrant women, women of colour, Indigenous women and women with disabilities) magnifies the risk of poverty.

Family composition

Family composition can influence poverty. Families with children, especially those in sole-caregiver families, unattached individuals and youth aging out of care, are at high risk of poverty.

In 2018, the poverty rate among children aged 0 to 17 years was 10.8%. Although the poverty rate among children was below the national average, children from families with other intersecting identifiers (for example sole-caregivers, immigrants, refugees, individuals who identify as members of Black, ethno-cultural and other racialized populations, Indigenous people living on or off reserve) continue to experience higher poverty rates. For instance, the poverty rate among people in sole-caregiver families is 26.3% compared to 7.5% among couple families with children under 18 years of age. For families with children under 18 years of age, the poverty rates were higher for those where the head of the economic family was Indigenous (19.4%), a recent immigrant (in Canada for less than 10 years) (21.1%), or an immigrant (13.9%).

There has been little Canadian research on what happens to youth when they leave the child welfare system. However, the limited data that is available indicates that youth leaving care are particularly marginalized and underserved. A 2017 paper by the Child Welfare Political Action Committee asserts that the majority of youth who age-out of care live in poverty and are more likely to experience homelessness.

In 2018, unattached individuals had the highest rate of poverty in Canada. The poverty rate among unattached male and females aged 18 to 64 years was 34.6% and 36.7%, respectively.

Marginalized groups

Marginalized groups face numerous barriers to social inclusion and accessing employment, housing and services. These lead to a greater risk of poverty.

Recent immigrants (meaning those who have lived in Canada less than 10 years) may face discrimination, racism, difficulty having their educational and professional credentials recognized, language barriers and difficulty building social networks when they arrive in Canada. In 2018, 26.0% of immigrants who had been in Canada for 4 years or less and 14.4% of immigrants who had been in Canada for 5 to 9 years were living in poverty.

Persons with disabilities face discrimination and other barriers to education and employment. As a result, they face a very high risk of living in poverty. Further, Canada's Official Poverty Line may not fully capture the additional costs that persons with disabilities often have. In 2018, 16.6% of persons with disabilities were living in poverty. Poverty rates were the highest for individuals with mental or psychological disabilities (25.0%) or a cognitive disability (24.7%). Poverty rates for persons with disabilities were particularly high for unattached individuals (excluding seniors) (49.5%), female sole-caregivers (34.7%), Indigenous people living off reserve (31.8%) and immigrants who landed in Canada less than 10 years ago (27.2%).

Persons with disabilities were also overrepresented in deep income poverty. In 2018, of the 1,973,000 people whose family disposable income is below 75% of Canada's Official Poverty Line, 666,000 were a persons with disabilities, meaning that around 30% of people in deep poverty had a disability.

Data for racialized and LGBTQ2S individuals is not available in the Canadian Income Survey and so poverty rates based on Canada's Official Poverty Line are not available for these groups. However, what data is available elsewhere indicates that poverty rates among these groups are higher than the national average.

Black populations and racialized people face systemic racism, anti-Black racism and discrimination, which have resulted in unequal health, social and financial outcomes. Available data from the 2016 Census indicates that the poverty rate among people from racialized communities is more than double the national poverty rate.

Many LGBTQ2S individuals experience discrimination and stigma throughout their lives and often face isolation and alienation, identity-based family conflict and related challenges. There is very little data on low income among LGBTQ2S individuals. Information regarding sexual orientation and gender identity is not collected through the Canadian Income Survey or many other Statistics Canada surveys. However, the limited data that is available suggests that LGBTQ2S individuals are at a high risk of being in low income, isolation and social exclusion. Some LGBTQ2S individuals are more likely to experience discrimination, violence, homelessness and poverty than others. Research shows that LGBTQ2S youth disproportionately represent 20% to 40% of the approximately 40,000 youth that experience homelessness in Canada every year (Abramovich, 2012). Racialized LGBTQ2S individuals experience homelessness at disproportionate rates.

Regional poverty

Finally, people living in Canada face a higher risk of living in poverty depending on where they live. Because of differences in provincial economies, social policies and demographics, poverty rates vary by province. In 2018, the poverty rate under Canada's Official Poverty Line ranged from 9.4% in Alberta to 13.3% in Nova Scotia. Differences are also frequently observed between urban and rural areas.

What more we need to learn about people in poverty in Canada

What we do not know about people living in poverty is just as important as what we do know. Federal surveys often collect demographic information so that data can be disaggregated by age and sex. However, information about poverty among some of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups continues to be limited because:

many of the most underserved people (such as those in institutions or the homeless) are often not part of survey target populations

the sample size of many surveys is too small to allow for disaggregation for smaller population groups

questions related to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity are often not asked of survey respondents

Moreover, low income estimates based on Canada's Official Poverty Line are not currently available for people living in the territories or on a reserve. Statistics Canada is currently working with territorial governments to develop a Market Basket Measure in the 3 territories.

This means that data on poverty in Canada is incomplete and that we do not have information about low income rates among some of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in Canada.

Chapter 3 - National Advisory Council on Poverty engagement - What we heard

Objectives of engagement with people with lived expertise of poverty

Better understand the experiences, perspectives and priorities of people living in poverty

Share people's experiences and lived expertise to illustrate the many different faces of poverty and to motivate a broader social movement for change

Understand further actions that are needed better support people to leave poverty

We began a coast to coast-to-coast engagement on poverty in March 2020. The purpose of the engagement was to continue a dialogue on poverty that was started when the Government of Canada developed Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. It was also to listen to and to better understand the challenges that individuals with lived expertise of poverty are facing. We sought to hear from Canadians living in diverse contexts about their experiences, opinions, perspectives and ideas related to poverty reduction and building a more inclusive country.

Above all, we undertook this engagement with the goal of elevating the voices of those who are experiencing or who have experienced poverty. The Council considers it not only important, but also a right for people affected by decisions to inform those decisions. Given the right information, people affected by poverty are in the best position to describe their experience and the programs, policies or other solutions that work.

We had the privilege of hearing from individuals with lived expertise, stakeholders and service providers about their experiences of poverty and their efforts to move out of poverty. We met with people in Surrey, Abbotsford, Vancouver, Yellowknife, Edmonton, Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. (A full list of organizations we spoke to is included in Appendix B). Unfortunately, before we could visit other parts of Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to suspend all further engagement sessions. As a result, this chapter is incomplete and must remain so. Many voices are missing, not just from regions of the country that we were not able to travel to, but also from youth and children and people with different life experiences and perspectives including, people who identify as LGBTQ2S individuals, persons with disabilities, racialized people and refugees.

The absence of these voices leaves a significant gap. The voices that are missing from this particular report are the same voices that are so often missing or silenced and that are missing from the data as noted in the previous chapter. They are often the most marginalized and their voices and experiences are not often valued by society overall. They are people who, because they are living in poverty, have a limited ability to effect change and make choices in their own lives. It was for this reason that we wanted to hear directly from them. We deeply regret that we were not able to complete the engagement process we started. We are committed to hearing from these voices and sharing their expertise and stories when it is once again safe to gather.

What poverty means to you

Please note: Throughout the engagements, participants shared that poverty is individual. As we did not get to hear the individual experiences of some of the most marginalized groups in our society, we want to emphasize that the experience of poverty described here does not reflect everyone's experience of poverty. In particular, the voices of racialized Canadians, LGBTQ2S individuals, persons with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, people living in institutions, children and youth are missing from this document and therefore so are their experiences.

We asked individuals in each location to respond to the question: "What does poverty mean to you?" The discussion that we had with each of the individuals and groups is highlighted below and informed the development of our report and a deeper understanding of poverty.

Overwhelmingly, we heard that the experience of poverty is different for everyone. It is influenced by identity, background, past experiences, health, privilege and many other factors. Throughout the engagement we were struck by the diversity of experience of those living in poverty.

"[Poverty is] just barely surviving, and never getting to live."
- Participant with lived expertise in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Some described poverty as a lack of income. Others described poverty as lacking the resources needed to maintain their own and their family's basic needs, such as food and shelter. Some participants shared that poverty felt like an identity and described being treated poorly because of it. Many mentioned feeling that the system made them feel invisible or like they did not exist and that they were ignored.

We also heard from many participants that poverty is a constant struggle. Some elements of this struggle identified by participants were:

having to make impossible choices (such as between buying food or paying rent)

spending hours waiting in lines to access resources, doing things specifically to survive (such as sex work, begging)

living with the stigma of being poor

living in a constant state of fear, of not knowing what comes next, being isolated from the community and never being comfortable in the present

physical pain and struggle: of being frozen cold, of having swollen feet and being unable to put on shoes because of this

"To me, poverty is struggling to survive."
-Participant with lived experience from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Systemic barriers and common challenges

While we heard that poverty is individual, we also heard about a number of systemic barriers, common challenges and sources of frustration. During the engagements, individuals with lived expertise and stakeholders working for community organizations described some of the key barriers that create and reinforce poverty. Stakeholders acknowledged that these issues, particularly discrimination and stigma, are problems that are deeply rooted in our society.

Challenges facing Indigenous people

As noted in the previous chapter, the experience of Indigenous people has been shaped by colonization and historical and ongoing government policy and programs. While many of the challenges that Indigenous people face are similar to other people living in poverty, their causes, their challenges and their experiences are rooted in colonialism and, historical and ongoing racism and discrimination.

Indigenous participants spoke about racism and discrimination. They described racism as a major barrier to both securing employment and finding a place to rent. One participant shared that "...people [employers] do not want to take a chance on Indigenous people."

Many individuals shared their fears of losing their children (as in having their children removed and placed in foster care) and identified this as a significant source of anxiety. These fears are amplified in the context of multi-generational child removals due to policies of assimilation that were pursued by the Government. We heard from Indigenous women that they are disproportionately targeted by child protective services and that navigating the system to regain custody of their children is complex. One participant described this process as "a fight" and shared that her community was integral in helping her to regain custody of her child.

In the Northwest Territories, participants also noted that food insecurity was a major source of worry in their lives. We heard from stakeholders about extremely high costs of food and other basic necessities.

Discrimination and stigma

One of the most common barriers identified by individuals with lived expertise was discrimination because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language spoken and other factors. Some people shared that the social stigmas and prejudice they experienced in their lives cause them to feel alone and isolated.

Intergenerational poverty

Many individuals with lived expertise described the trauma they experienced as children growing up in poverty. Because of what she went through when she was younger, one participant stated, "I was never a child."

One stakeholder shared that there is a multi-generational legacy of poverty and strong correlation between child homelessness and reduced educational outcomes, addiction, homelessness and poverty in adulthood. Another shared that he believes trauma - historical events that have deeply marked the individual's sense of self and their emotional well-being - is at the root of the majority of poverty. This is because most clients his organisation serves had experienced negative life events - whether in childhood or after - before experiencing poverty or homelessness.

Addictions

Some participants shared that addictions and substance use are a way to cope with events, anxiety, fear or trauma, but that addiction can "make you lose everything." In some cases, individuals need a space to safely use drugs (for example safe injection sites) and in other cases individuals need a place that is culturally safe and near their place of residence to get sober and receive supports for exiting addictions.

We heard that there is a great deal of guilt and shame experienced by parents struggling with addictions. They felt there is nowhere to turn for help. With no money, mothers and fathers expressed that there are limited resources for their children. They expressed fear of losing their children as a consequence. Many of the individuals that we spoke with had histories of substance use or abuse and many were working hard to rebuild their lives.

Mental health

Many participants shared that they struggle or have a history of struggling with mental illness and mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression. We heard that poverty exacerbates these challenges. They spoke of the cycle of mental health struggles leading to poverty which in turn leads to more mental health struggles. Many individuals shared that they cannot think about or plan for the future. That doing so causes them significant additional stress and often fear. Stakeholders identified that resources such as psychological therapy, safe injection sites and inclusive programming are very important to support those struggling with addictions, trauma and mental health challenges.

Exploitation

Newcomers to Canada with advanced skillsets, as well as individuals without post-secondary education and high school diplomas described witnessing or experiencing situations of exploitation. One participant shared seeing scams and illegal activity directed at job-seekers on popular job websites and that the scams deliberately target vulnerable people. Another participant described working for a company that laid him off and failed to pay him for the work he had completed. He noted that he found many of the same problems in Canada that led to him leaving his country of origin.

Women, children and child care

Women with lived expertise in poverty and stakeholder organizations all emphasized the need for housing, child care and access to services and extra curricular activities to improve the lives of children living in poverty. mothers are too afraid to ask for help or access services, given that they are at risk of losing their children to foster care if they admit they are struggling. Some stakeholders felt that there is stigma attached to people who are seen as "undeserving" of access to supports, for example, mothers with multiple children living in poverty. Stakeholders also highlighted the lack of funding for appropriate supports in shelters, such as childcare, support workers, counselling and other family supports.

Challenges of existing supports

During the engagements, many individuals with lived expertise described challenges they experienced in accessing a variety of supports that were often wholly inadequate. Alternatively, we also heard about services and supports that have been effective in increasing the resiliency of those living in poverty. It is important to hear about program successes and challenges directly from the people they are meant to serve. Participants shared a wealth of information about the challenges and effective solutions. Overwhelmingly, however, participants across engagements shared that dignity, choice and respect were key to transformative service delivery and provision.

Access to and adequacy of existing programs

Participants described that many of the existing benefits, particularly, social assistance, housing benefits and child care are simply inadequate and therefore make it impossible to get ahead.

Access to housing and housing benefits were raised very frequently in our engagements. Key issues raised include:

lack of affordable and adequate housing as a key barrier to moving out of poverty

rent that has become increasingly unaffordable

long wait-lists for subsidized housing and other social housing programs

multiple families living in one residence

individuals staying in violent situations and trading sex in order to remain housed

living conditions within the shelter system, for example overcrowding, lack of privacy, exposure to violence, sleeping on the floor, that do not allow homeless people to live with dignity - 1 participant described being denied access to a washroom to relieve herself

underfunding prevents shelters from providing staff for 24 hours, which means that people have to leave the shelter, line up outside, sometimes for hours, and re-qualify every day

the fear of losing housing while seeking treatment, or if kids were temporarily removed from the home

being taken advantage of by landlords who do not take care of their rental properties and treat tenants poorly

having had no choice but to move into rental properties that were severely damaged or had mould

There were regional challenges with respect to housing too. In British Columbia, we heard that individuals in temporary housing are remaining there for lengthy periods of time because of a lack of other options for low cost housing. There are also limited resources to support individuals transitioning out of shelters. Many individuals live in fear of losing housing and shelters are overpopulated, while extreme weather conditions make sleeping outside very dangerous. In rural areas, housing can be crowded and resources, such as shelters or low income housing, simply do not exist. In Winnipeg, some people spoke of being pushed out of areas where gangs and street violence are rampant.

Food insecurity was another common theme. Common challenges include:

regularly waking up hungry, not knowing where they will get their next meal

food banks often having limits on the number of times families can access their resources

a feeling of having to justify oneself or feeling judged when asking for help

that available food is not always culturally appropriate or compatible with dietary restrictions

Aside from food and housing, participants on social assistance described how the benefit amounts make it impossible to get ahead. One participant shared that, in her experience, "Welfare doesn't support you. It seems like it just wants to keep you [in poverty]."

In addition, individuals across all engagements told us that they had a desire to access education, but that costs associated with education, including transportation, housing, supplies, accessible and affordable child care and tuition were barriers.

Finally, we heard from parents and family members that child care is a major barrier to accessing employment, housing and government services. We heard that individuals are forced to make impossible choices to ensure they can provide food and clothing for their family, afford rent and be able to provide children with a safe environment. We also heard that it can be difficult for new Canadians to access child care so that they can participate in essential language programs that can help with future employment.

Program coordination and systems navigation

The notion of the "poverty trap" came up in many of the engagement sessions. Participants shared stories that demonstrated how a lack of program and benefit coordination can prevent people from taking care of themselves or getting ahead. We heard, as a result, that many programs were not as supportive as they intended to be. Some had unintended negative consequences. For example, a participant commented that you can go to the food bank, but you have nowhere to cook if you are homeless. Those on social assistance or living in low-income described being unable to afford market rent and being stuck on a waitlist for affordable housing, which prevents them from being able to secure employment, which prevents them from being able to look after their children or secure child care and so on.

Some stakeholders shared that the lack of program coordination makes it difficult for people living in poverty, who already face many barriers, to seek and acquire the help they need. We heard that accessing government assistance was challenging and a substantial time investment, including:

spending a lot of time navigating government websites to determine eligibility for various programs and services

filling out extensive paperwork (which can be a barrier for many)

waiting in long lines and visiting multiple sites

Participants at multiple engagement sessions said they feel as if they are constantly "jumping through hoops" and having to prove that they require financial support. Participants described:

not feeling believed, which caused feelings of shame, frustration and hopelessness

not accessing benefits at all, or having benefits taken away, which in many cases left them without necessary resources, such as housing

feeling overwhelmed and afraid of the bureaucracy and not understanding the systems and the decision making process

how the constant surveillance and moral judgments imposed upon them are unrealistic and harmful to the well-being of their family

not being aware of all the programs and benefits that are available to them

how information may not be accessible to people living in poverty because of barriers related to literacy, language and access to technology

Stakeholders spoke about the need for supports for life's transitions. They said that inadequate supports at key junctures in life (such as leaving prison, losing a job or starting a new one) can lead people into, or back into, poverty and homelessness. For example, one stakeholder shared that, while there are resources available to get tenants into their first home, there is a lack of supports in place to help people remain housed. Sometimes this means that, after becoming housed, vulnerable people fall into a cycle of homelessness. We also heard that although problems related to mental health, addictions, homelessness and poverty are often interrelated, these challenges are not always addressed concurrently, which can make it difficult to exit homelessness and poverty.

One-size-fits-all programs do not work

Stakeholders expressed concern that people living in poverty are treated as a homogenous group. In reality though, there are other intersecting issues like racism, anti-Black racism, sexism and stigma that can multiply the isolation and difficulties that individuals living in poverty experience. We heard from stakeholders that it is a major challenge to develop services that are responsive to diverse people's needs within programs and benefits systems that are designed for consistent application and standards.

Some participants also shared that they are rarely given choice or autonomy when seeking help. In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, we heard that access to expedited housing and greater assistance was contingent upon guilty pleas in the Community Court. For example, participants spoke of struggling to live with significant restrictions on their personal choices in exchange for affordable housing and on-site support.

Individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness shared that they are required to live under significant monitoring and with limited individual freedoms in exchange for housing. This focus on safety and compliance without supports to address long-term needs for increased autonomy, private housing, health, income and community integration does not set program participants up for success.

What works

We also asked participants what works. They emphasized the importance of giving agency and choice. This includes programs that are based on mutual trust and are culturally safe. They also emphasized that programs must include wraparound supports that address the multiple and complex barriers many individuals and families living in poverty face.

Participants stressed the need to invest in proven solutions, such asaffordable housing, education and child care, to improve access for marginalized populations. They also stressed the need for education and training for employers and service providers.

Chapter 4 - Report on progress

Progress under Canada's Official Poverty Line

Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy set 2 key poverty reduction targets: a 20% reduction in poverty by 2020 and a 50% reduction in poverty by 2030, relative to 2015 levels.

The poverty rate in Canada fell from 14.5% in 2015 to 11% in 2018. This represents a 24.1% reduction. These figures are based on the Official Poverty Line and the Market Basket Measure, however, it excludes data for the 3 territories. In 2018, 1.09 million fewer people were living in poverty than in 2015. However, this data is more than 2 years old and it remains unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect poverty rates and trends.

Graph 1: Number and percentage of individuals living in poverty in Canada, between 2015 and 2018

Source: Canadian Income Survey

Text description of Figure 1

Year

2015

2016

2017

2018

Number of persons in poverty

5,074,000

4,543,000

4,188,000

3,983,000

Percentage of persons in poverty (%)

14.5

12.8

11.7

11.0

Between 2015 and 2018, poverty, as measured by Canada's Official Poverty Line, fell across all provinces in Canada and for all population groups. This was captured using available Statistics Canada data. However, the size of this change varied across regions and marginalized groups.

Despite improvements in the overall poverty rates, some of the other indicators of poverty, including food insecurity, unmet housing needs and the average poverty gap ratio, stayed the same or worsened. Data limitations make it difficult to assess trends across these indicators for different marginalized groups. That makes it challenging to identify where additional investments would be most beneficial.

Trends for marginalized populations under Canada's Official Poverty Line

Between 2015 and 2018, the poverty rates for all groups that can be counted for using data from the Canadian Income Survey decreased. However, the poverty rate among many marginalized groups remained well above the national average. In particular, poverty rates remained persistently high (at over 30%) for both unattached male and female individuals over this period. In addition, although female-led sole-caregiver families saw a considerable decrease in their poverty rate over this period, they continued to be at high risk of living in poverty.

Graph 2: Comparison of the poverty rates by demographic groups, between 2015 and 2018

Source: Canadian Income Survey

Text description of Graph 2

Demographic group

Poverty rate (%) in 2015

Poverty rate (%) in 2018

Regional trends

People across Canada experience poverty differently, as the country is very diverse. The Canadian provinces and territories exist in very different contexts; they have different economics and demographic realities. They also take difference approaches to their social programs and use a variety of social policies to achieve their policy objectives.

According to the Canadian Income Survey, which collects information on the income of Canadians living in the 10 provinces, in 2018, poverty was highest in Nova Scotia (13.3%) and lowest in Alberta (9.4%). Between 2015 and 2018, the poverty rate in each province was on a downward trend. Over this period, the largest decreases among provinces were in New Brunswick (37.9%) and British Columbia (32.0%) and the smallest decreases were in Alberta (6%) and Saskatchewan (11.8%). However, New Brunswick and British Columbia had higher poverty rates in 2015 than many of the other provinces, particularly Alberta and Quebec, whose poverty rates have remained below the national average during this period.

Between 2015 and 2018, the national poverty rate fell by more than 24%, from 14.5% to 11.0%. This represents roughly 1,091,000 fewer persons living below the poverty line in a four-year period. New Brunswick and British Columbia had the largest reductions in poverty (37.9% and 32.0% respectively).

Infographic: Poverty rates by province in 2015 and 2018 and their percent decrease

Source: Canadian Income Survey

Text description of Infographic

Province

Poverty rate (%) in 2015

Poverty rate (%) in 2018

Percent decrease between the 2015 and 2018 rates (%)

Progress on multiple dimensions of poverty

Please note: Given survey and data limitations, it is not possible to report on poverty trends for territorial residents, LGBTQ2S people, Black and racialized populations, people living in institutions, children and youth in care, persons and children with a disability, homeless people or Indigenous people living on a reserve using Canada's Official Poverty Line. The exclusion or silencing of these marginalized populations through a failure to collect data excludes the most marginalized and underserved from the conversation and makes it difficult - if not impossible - to assess whether existing programs and policies are meeting the needs of these populations.

Recognizing the fact that poverty has many dimensions, in addition to Canada's Official Poverty Line, Opportunity for All established a dashboard of indicators that Canadians can use to track progress made across the many dimensions of poverty, such as housing, health, food security, literacy and numeracy. A summary of the progress made across these indicators is presented below in Table 2.

Indicator

Reference period

Initial estimates

Latest estimates

Change (effect on poverty)

Data source

Indicator

Reference period

Initial estimates

Latest estimates

Change (effect on poverty)

Data source

Indicator

Reference period

Initial estimates

Latest estimates

Change (effect on poverty)

Data source

Real median hourly wageFootnote 2
(The real hourly wage at which half the population has a higher wage and half the population has a lower wage - 2019 constant dollars)

2015 to 2019

$23.63

$24.04

Increase (positive)

Labour Force Survey

Summary of indicator trends

Although poverty as measured by Canada's Official Poverty Line has fallen between 2015 and 2018, there are some dimensions of poverty tracked under the strategy where a lack of progress was observed or where the data trends indicate things may be getting worse.

Specifically, at the general population level, there has been a decrease in food security and a small rise in unmet housing needs. In addition, the average poverty gap (or average shortfall from the poverty line for those living in poverty) has increased. Literacy and numeracy both decreased.

Food insecurity

Food insecurity measures the number of Canadian households that do not have enough money to purchase or access a sufficient amount and variety of food to live a healthy lifestyle.

Between 2011 to 2012 and 2017 to 2018, food insecurity increased from 8.3% to 8.7% in Canada. In 2017 to 2018, food insecurity was highest in the territories, particularly in Nunavut, where 49.4% experienced food insecurity.

Food insecurity was also high among female (25.1%) and male (16.3%) sole-caregiver families with child(ren). Data is not available to look at trends across marginalized populations; however, available data for 2017 to 2018 indicates Indigenous households (22.8%) and racialized households (10.3%) were more likely than non-Indigenous households (7.7%) and white households (7.0%) to be food insecure.

We heard during engagements that food insecurity is a major stressor and a huge part of the constant struggle of living in poverty. Food insecurity is a key indicator of poverty - it is a clear sign that individuals and families are unable to meet their basic needs - and the trends observed under this indicator of the past decade suggests that additional investments are required in this area.

Unmet housing needs

Unmet housing needs captures those Canadians who are in housing that is unaffordable (more than 30% of before-tax household income); in need of major repairs; or unsuitable for the size and makeup of a family.

Between 2011 and 2016 (the last year for which there is data available), there was a small increase in the rate of those experiencing unmet housing needs from 12.5% to 12.7%. In fact, there has not been an improvement in the percentage of the population with unmet housing needs over the past decade and a half. Further, the overall rate disguises key differences in unmet housing needs among subpopulations. As shown in Table 3, in 2016, more than 20% of recent immigrants, people in sole-caregiver families and unattached individuals had unmet housing needs.

Group

2011

2016

Change

We heard during engagements that a lack of affordable and adequate housing is a key barrier to moving out of poverty. Many participants described having no choice but to stay in places that were unhealthy or unsafe because they had nowhere else to go. The stagnation of this indicator shows that additional investments in housing for low income Canadians are required.

Average poverty gap ratioFootnote 4

This indicator measures the average shortfall below Canada's Official Poverty Line for those living in poverty.

Between 2015 and 2018, the average poverty gap ratio increased from 31.8% in 2015 to 33.4% in 2018. This trend was observed in every province and across demographic groups. However, as shown in Table 4, the size of the average poverty gap ratio and the rate of change varied among subpopulations. This indicates that, although the percentage of people living in poverty has declined, on average, those living in poverty had income that fell further below the poverty line in 2018 compared to 2015. Low income male sole-caregivers and unattached males saw their income going further below the poverty line between 2015 and 2018. The lack of progress under this indicator makes clear that more must be done to help the most marginalized in our society from falling further behind.

Groups

2015

2018

Change

Source: Canadian Income Survey

Summary of multi-dimensional poverty trends for marginalized populations

Our analysis of multi-dimensional poverty trends among marginalized populations was hampered by our inability to disaggregate data. In particular, indicators tracked under the dashboard, in most cases, cannot be disaggregated to look at the experience of Indigenous people, LGBTQ2S individuals, racialized populations and persons with disabilities. This is particularly concerning, given that available data indicates that there are significant differences in the experiences of subpopulations.

Trends by age group

Trends by family type

Trends for unattached adults and people in sole-caregiver families are generally moving in the same direction as they are for the general population. However, for certain family types, particularly when they are female-led, remain at very high risk compared to the general population across many indicators of multi-dimensional poverty. In contrast, couples with children are frequently at lower risk than the general population.

Indicator

Overall

Unattached adults (18 to 64 years old)

Sole-caregiver families

Couples with children

Deep income poverty
(Source: 2018 Canadian Income Survey)

5.4%

25.1% (females)
24.9% (males)

11% (female-led)
7.7% (male-led)

2.8%

Unmet housing needs
(Source: 2016 Census)

12.7%

20.4%

27%

6.9%

Unmet health needs
(Source: 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey)

11.2%

14.0%Footnote 5

15.1%

10.9%

Food insecurity
(Source: 2017 to 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey)

8.7%

12.1% (females)Footnote 6
12% (males)Footnote 7

25.1% (female-led)
16.3% (male-led)

6.7%

Relative low income
(Source: 2018 Canadian Income Survey)

12.3%

28.6% (females)
26.3% (males)

33.2% (female-led)
14.8% (male-led)

8.4%

Low income entry rate
(Source: 2016 to 2017 Longitudinal Administrative Databank)

4.1%

6.2%

9.6%

3.4%

Low income exit rate
(Source: 2016 to 2017 Longitudinal Administrative Databank)

27.9%

22.3%

24.6%

37.0%

Trends by subpopulation

Disaggregated data is not available on any of the indicators tracked under the Poverty Reduction Strategy for Indigenous people living on a reserve or LGBTQ2S individuals. A limited amount of data is available on immigrants, Indigenous people living off reserve, persons with disabilities, and racialized populations.

As shown in the table below, the available data indicates that these subpopulations, as well as women are at higher risk of living in multi-dimensional poverty than the general population.

Indicator

Overall

Women

Recent immigrants (landed <10 years)

Indigenous people (living off reserve)

Persons with disabilities

Racialized populations

Deep income poverty
(Source: 2018 Canadian Income Survey)

5.4%

5.2%

10.6%

11.6%

8.1%

Not available

Unmet housing needs
(Source: 2016 Census)

12.7%

28.0% (female-led households)

23.5%
(Recent immigrant-led households)

18.3%
(Indigenous-led households)

Not available

20.1%
(Racialized-led households)

Bottom 40% income share
(Source: 2018 Canadian Income Survey)Footnote 8

40%

41.1%

55.4%

46.9%

51.1%

Not available

Aspirational data

While they provide important information about multi-dimensional poverty, from our point of view, the dashboard could be adapted to present a more holistic picture of the experience of poverty in Canada. In particular, we believe that indicators of children's well-being, mental health, social inclusion, and security and violence would help strengthen the existing dashboard. Currently, there is a limited data available to report on these dimensions of poverty. However, we have identified a few data sources and indicators that provide some important information about how Canadians are doing in these areas.

We recommend that data for these indicators be collected regularly by Statistics Canada, and be added to the dashboard of indicators tracked under the poverty reduction strategy on the Dimensions of Poverty Hub.

Indicators for Indigenous people

Given that Indigenous people experience poverty in different and unique ways, we also want to highlight the importance of co-developing Indigenous indicators of poverty, as committed to in the Poverty Reduction Strategy. Without consistent information on the experience of poverty in diverse Indigenous communities, Indigenous leaders and governments face challenges in making evidence-informed policy decisions for poverty reduction. Moreover, the current classification of Indigenous people as "First Nations, Inuit and Métis" does not represent the reality of the different communities. It is also important to reiterate that most Statistics Canada surveys do not collect information on Indigenous people living on a reserve and so available statistics, including under Canada's Official Poverty Line, do not capture the experiences of a large proportion of Indigenous people in Canada.

Chapter 5 - Covid-19: Marginalized populations and Canada's response

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, and the Government's response continues to evolve. The full effects of the crisis on Canadians living in poverty, including how it will affect poverty rates and Canada's efforts towards meeting its poverty reduction goals, will not be known for some time. As such, this chapter is not meant to be an exhaustive discussion of the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized populations and Canada's response. It is meant to:

briefly discuss the realities that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on those populations

capture our experiences with the pandemic as stakeholders, practitioners, academics and service providers

highlight the need for data to properly measure disparities and outcomes

look at key lessons learned from the Government's response

Crowdsourcing data from a Statistics Canada Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on Canadians in May and June 2020 suggests that the difficulty of meeting financial obligations or essential needs has risen to a greater extent among Indigenous participants than among non-Indigenous participants.

Impact on marginalized Canadians

Available data and our experiences in the field indicate that the pandemic has affected all Canadians, but not equally. We have seen that the pandemic has exacerbated many of the challenges marginalized populations were already facing and that they have borne the brunt of its negative health, well-being and financial impacts.

Populations living in or near poverty face disproportionate negative financial and health impacts

Overall, populations living in or near poverty before the pandemic have been more affected financially by the pandemic. Low wage and precarious workers saw their employment rates drop most severely at the onset of the pandemic. Among those groups for which data was available, women, youth (aged 15 to 24) and recent immigrants were most affected at the onset of the crisis because they are more likely to hold less secure, non-standard jobs in hard-hit industries such as accommodation and food services (Statistics Canada, April 2020 Labour Force Survey). Early data also indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively affect women with children as they have assumed additional caregiving responsibilities (for example with day care and school closures) and are therefore more likely to work reduced hours or miss work due to these responsibilities.

In addition, racialized individuals, especially South Asian, Arab and Black Canadians, have also been severely impacted by employment losses (Statistics Canada, July 2020 Labour Force Survey). Although employment has rebounded, employment disparities among these groups have persisted (Statistics Canada, August 2020 Labour Force Survey).

There is also evidence that the mental and physical health of low income and marginalized populations have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. For example, over half of participants with long-term conditions and disabilities have reported that their mental health is worse than before the pandemic ( Statistics Canada Crowdsourcing Survey, 2020). In addition, a Statistics Canada study on the impact of COVID-19 on racialized individuals showed that this population has experienced poorer mental health outcomes than white participants during the crisis. In addition, public health agencies in Montréal and Toronto have found that COVID-19 active cases and deaths are more likely to be in low income neighbourhoods; Socio-demographic data from public health authorities in Toronto and Peel indicate that racialized populations are overrepresented in COVID-19 cases.

The closure of in person supports and services disproportionately impacted marginalized people

We heard during engagements that many marginalized Canadians face challenges navigating the existing benefit structure and accessing benefits and services. As front-line service providers, throughout the pandemic, many of us saw first-hand that the sudden closure of most in person supports and services for marginalized Canadians left many people with nowhere to turn to for the essential services upon which they relied. We saw that schools and child care facility closures presented unique challenges for low income families and children. Many low-income families lack access to technology, the internet or other resources to participate in learn-at-home activities. And, we saw that people experiencing homelessness were being pushed to sleep in the streets or in tents as shelter capacity was reduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It quickly became apparent to us that the closure of in-person supports and services disproportionately impacted marginalized populations, although it remains to be seen what the long-term impacts of these closures may be.

What we need to know about the impact on marginalized Canadians

Although it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted marginalized Canadians and amplified challenges faced by those living in poverty, there is still a lot that we do not know. As the crisis continues to evolve, there is a need for additional data and information to properly measure disparities and outcomes related to COVID-19. The collection of race-based and otherwise disaggregated COVID-19 case data by several provinces and public health authorities is a promising start. So is the addition of questions about visible minority status to the Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey. However, to better understand who is most vulnerable to COVID-19, socio-demographic and race-based data should be collected across all jurisdictions. National surveys should collect information to allow decision-makers to better understand the differential impacts of COVID-19 on diverse populations.

Federal government response for marginalized Canadians

The Government of Canada responded quickly to mitigate the economic impacts of closing most non-essential businesses with a suite of measures aimed at protecting Canadians who were unable to work due to COVID-19. Among all of the federal investments made in response to COVID-19, the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was the largest COVID-19 emergency support directed toward individuals and families. It provides an income replacement ($2,000 over a 4-week period, initially for a maximum of 16 weeks, then extended twice for an additional 12 weeks) to employed, recently laid off and self-employed individuals who were directly affected by COVID-19.

Through the CERB, the Government of Canada was able to distribute funds to a large number of unemployed individuals in a short time frame. As of mid-September 2020, applications from 8.8 million applicants had been received and processed. This was achieved in large part because the application process was kept simple to make the benefit low-barrier and easy to access.

The introduction of the CERB raised questions about the adequacy of current benefits. The CERB was developed in part because many people who found themselves unemployed or unable to work as a result of the pandemic would not have been eligible for Employment Insurance. This speaks to an increasing misalignment between federal programming and the type of employment that many Canadians find themselves in (for example part-time, contract or temporary positions). The Government acknowledged this in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, in which it was stated that "the pandemic has shown that Canada needs an Employment Insurance system for the 21st century, including for the self-employed and those in the gig economy."

Moreover, although the flat monthly rate of $2,000 provided through the CERB was just enough to keep most individuals and families from falling below Canada's Official Poverty Line (see Appendix C), it is more generous than what many claimants would receive on EI, provincial and territorial social assistance programs and disability benefits. This raises serious questions about the adequacy of current benefits for some of Canada's most marginalized populations.

It is also notable that government funding for the middle class came largely through direct payments to individuals (the CERB) and that support for businesses was provided largely through a direct wage subsidy. However, support for marginalized Canadians was withheld from them and instead provided to organizations who support them. This continues to perpetuate a perception of blame and mistrust of the poor and takes away choice and control from marginalized individuals. It also left many low income people with nowhere to turn when frontline service organizations were forced to close.

Lessons learned for promoting recovery

Not only has the pandemic pushed governments to react quickly to support individuals affected by it, it has prompted us to think about how existing social security nets serve marginalized populations. The collective experience of the pandemic presents an opportunity for all Canadians to rethink how to better support marginalized populations and to identify ways of creating more supportive environments to prevent poverty in the first place. The initial government response to COVID-19 created the sense that all Canadians were in the crisis together. Most importantly, it included broad, low-barrier supports. As a council, we believe that it is important the Government continue to provide low-barrier support to all Canadians. We need to avoid returning to the type of supports that further marginalize some.

The pandemic has created an environment for change. Rather than simply returning to the pre-pandemic status quo, we can instead develop a more equal, healthy, purposeful and resilient society. This would involve collecting data to better understand how COVID-19 is impacting disparities and outcomes among diverse populations. And it would require building more responsive systems that include targeted policies for at-risk populations and are at a level that is sufficient to keep people out of poverty, allowing for greater autonomy, dignity and an opportunity for all.

Chapter 6 - Conclusion and recommendations

The Government of Canada's Poverty Reduction Strategy has set an overall target of reducing poverty by 20% by 2020 and by 50% by 2030. The Government is on track to meet its overall goal. Recognizing the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, in addition to these broad targets, the Government has also identified a number of indicators to measure progress towards its poverty reduction goals. As a council, we have been tasked with reporting on the Government's progress and we have been asked to continue a national dialogue on poverty. We also feel compelled to offer some recommendations.

The engagements we undertook were emotional and intense. During the engagements, we heard that more must be done to pull people out of poverty. We also heard that there needs to be strong supports and systems in place to keep individuals and families from falling into poverty in the first place.

Due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of data disaggregation, the experience of poverty described here does not fully reflect the marginalized groups. We have worked to make sure we reflect their experiences and voices through existing research and statistics to the best of our ability. However, we had a difficulty doing this to our satisfaction because our data sets often did not allow for disaggregation of results for different socio-demographic groups. We will prioritize hearing from a broader range of voices in future engagements. We will also prioritize understanding the full effects of COVID-19 on Canadians living in poverty, including how the crisis will affect poverty rates and Canada's efforts toward meeting its poverty reduction goals.

The data available indicates that progress is being made towards reaching the poverty reduction targets. However, this progress has not been even. Marginalized groups are more likely to experience poverty due to systemic issues, discrimination, racism, anti-Black racism, homophobia and transphobia. More needs to be done to prevent people from experiencing poverty, food insecurity, social exclusion and chronic homelessness. Recent progress toward poverty reduction, including the poverty rate for women falling to lower than the poverty rate for men for the first time in 2018, could be threatened by the impacts of the pandemic.

We heard that poverty is a full-time job for many people and that it strips them of their dignity and the ability to make choices about their own lives. In order to address this, the Government must adopt policy-making that is trauma-informed, creates a sense of trust and safety and provides choice and agency to empower those living in poverty. With this in mind, to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged members of our society and ensure progress towards the Government's target to reduce poverty in Canada by 50% by 2030, we present our main findings and make the following recommendations.

Recommendations

1. The federal government's Poverty Reduction Strategy is already showing promising results in meeting Canada's commitment to reduce poverty by 20% by the year 2020. From 2015 to 2018, the overall poverty rate in Canada fell from 14.5% to 11% of people living under Canada's Official Poverty Line. The Government has invested in a number of areas that help to reduce poverty, including current and planned investments in the National Housing Strategy, Reaching Home, the acquisition fund, infrastructure, disability benefits, the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and supports for before- and after-school clubs. However, the overall poverty rate, while moving in the right direction, does not tell the whole story. To appreciate the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, one must consider the entire poverty dashboard of indicators. It reveals that progress in certain areas has been slow or non-existent. Rates of food insecurity, unmet housing needs, homelessness, and literacy and numeracy rates indicate a need for immediate action. In this context:

the Government of Canada should continue with the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and with its current government-wide investments

the Government of Canada should focus additional investments in 4 areas where progress is falling behind: food insecurity, housing and homelessness, literacy and numeracy and the poverty gap

2. As acknowledged throughout our report and in Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy, poverty in Indigenous communities is an outcome of colonization and government policies. As a result, the Government of Canada has committed to a nation-to-nation, government-to-government and Inuit-Crown relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Based on the principles that those commitments were founded on, collaborative work is underway to reduce poverty in Indigenous communities. However, progress remains slow and poverty rates among Indigenous people in urban, rural and remote settings remains very high compared to the general population

The Government of Canada should take urgent action to support Indigenous leaders to reduce poverty in their communities and to ensure they have all the resources available to support their own people in their own way. We specifically recommend: the co-development of Indigenous indicators of poverty, as committed to in the Poverty Reduction Strategy; the co-development of a range of Indigenous poverty reduction strategies such as distinctions-based housing strategies, as committed to in the National Housing Strategy; and commitments made through the Indigenous early learning and child care agreements

The data necessary to be able to report on Indigenous people should be made available to report on by our next progress report in 2021

3. We heard that the experience of poverty is different for everyone and is influenced by identity, background, past experiences, health, privilege and many other factors.However, data limitations mean that marginalized populations are often uncounted or undercounted for in the Government of Canada statistics. Our assessment and reporting for this report were hampered by our inability to disaggregate data. We saw that many people were excluded or silenced through a failure to collect data, to ask inclusive questions, or to engage with them in program and policy development. The silencing of their voices leaves those who are the most marginalized and underserved out of the conversation

All Statistics Canada and federal population-based surveys should ask inclusive questions and provide inclusive response options on women and gender equity, Indigenous heritage, immigration/refugee status, race/ethnicity, disability, prior or current institutionalization, sexual orientation and gender identity, to allow for routine disaggregation of data to support better decision making and reporting of poverty disparities

The Government of Canada should work with stakeholders and communities to ensure that any new survey questions and response options regarding race, gender identity and sexual orientation are inclusive and that the questions reach the populations that are currently not captured

4. We heard from individuals with lived expertise of poverty, that discrimination, racism, anti-Black racism and stigma were among the main causes of poverty. Marginalized groups remain at a high risk of living in poverty compared to the general population
The Government of Canada should incorporate an equity lens when it reviews, develops and implements strategies, policies and programs. It should ensure Canada's poverty reduction efforts work as well for those at the highest risk as for everyone else and meet the unique needs of marginalized populations, including, immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals and people experiencing homelessness. The Government should also use available data to transparently report on the use of the equity lens and the outcomes

5. During the pandemic, the Government of Canada moved quickly to fill gaps in the social safety net and to provide direct support to families and individuals. Early data indicates that women, youth, children, less educated workers, recent immigrants, racialized individuals, informal workers who do not have a job with benefits and temporary employees on short-term contracts with no job security have been hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.There was an emphasis on providing low barrier, broad-based support and with less onerous application processes. At present, there is a unique opportunity to consider the lessons learned from this crisis and to rebuild and recover in such a way that capitalizes on opportunities for a more vibrant, resilient and sustainable economy while improving both the social safety net and proactive initiatives to prevent poverty by creating supportive social environments across the life course

The Government of Canada should collaborate with the provinces and territories to build on its COVID-19 response and strengthen existing strategies, programs and policies to ensure a coordinated robust social safety net in Canada by collectively providing income support that is at least at the level of Canada's Official Poverty Line

We recommend that benefits be streamlined and simplified to make them low-barrier, easier to access and easy to tailor to individual needs

Appendices

Appendix A - Glossary of terms

Assimilation

Process by which the Government of Canada forced Indigenous people to adopt the beliefs, languages and customs of Canadian society, resulting in the loss of Indigenous language and culture in the process.

Canada's Official Poverty Line

See Market Basket Measure.

Co-development

Process where 2 or more parties come together to jointly develop or create something.

Cultural safety

An approach that considers how social and historical contexts, as well as structural and interpersonal power imbalances, shape interactions and experiences.

Disaggregated data

Refers to information that has been summarized and then broken down into component parts or smaller units of data usually to reveal trends, patterns and insights.

Discrimination

The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Equity lens

A process of analyzing or diagnosing the impact of the design and implementation of policies on underserved and marginalized individuals and groups, and to identify and potentially eliminate barriers.

Food insecurity

The inability to acquire or consume an adequate diet quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways, or the uncertainty that one will be able to do so.

Food security

A measure of the availability of healthy food and individuals' ability to access it.

Gender identity

Gender identity is a person's subjective experience of their own gender. It is a deep internal feeling of whether they identify as female, male, genderqueer, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A person's gender identity may be the same as or differ from the sex assigned to them at birth.

Homophobia

Irrational fear of or prejudice against individuals who are or perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual and other non-heterosexual individuals.

Inclusion

Eliminating relational sources of bias by ensuring that identity group status is unrelated to access to resources, creating expectations and opportunities for heterogeneous individuals to establish personalized cross-cutting ties and integrating ideas across boundaries in joint problem solving.

Indigenous

Throughout this land, First Peoples represent many communities, languages, traditions, cultures and individuals. We have endeavoured to honor those communities and people by representing them throughout the document in the essence of the words we have chosen. We acknowledge that we could not effectively reference and carry the stories of ALL of this land's First Peoples. The report is limited in using the broad definition of "Indigenous" to capture the unique beauty and nuance of these communities and people.

Individuals with lived expertise

People who have experienced or are currently living in poverty and are able to share their knowledge, thoughts and opinions to help inform the development of policies, procedures and programs.

Intergenerational poverty

Poverty experienced by several generations of the same family.

Intersectionality

The complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups.

LGBTQ2S

Acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and 2-spirit people.

Low Income Measure

The Low Income Measure defines low income as being below a fixed percentage of income. A household is considered low income if its income is below 50% of median household incomes.

Marginalized population

A group of people that are excluded from full participation in society and/or have a feeling of being insignificant or unimportant.

Market Basket Measure (MBM)

A measure of low-income based on the cost of a specific basket of goods and services representing a modest, basic standard of living. It includes the costs of food, clothing, footwear, transportation, shelter and other expenses for a reference family of 2 adults aged 25 to 49 and 2 children (aged 9 and 13).

Multi-dimensional poverty

A recognition that poverty is not simply a lack of income, but that it includes all of the consequences that come with lacking income, including poor health, unsafe housing conditions and lack of access to food.

Sexual orientation

How a person identifies to whom they are sexually and romantically attracted to (for example lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual).

Social safety net

A collection of services provided by the state or other institutions to improve the lives of individuals and families experiencing - or at risk of experiencing - poverty.

Sole-caregiver (or lone-parent) family

Refers to a parent who is not married and does not have a partner, who is bringing up a child or children.

Stigma

Strong feelings of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair.

Systemic barriers

Policies, practices or procedures that result in some people receiving unequal access or being excluded.

Transgender

A term used to describe people whose gender identity does not match with the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender is also used as an umbrella term and can encompass those who identify as genderqueer, gender fluid and whose gender identities challenge gender norms.

Transphobia

Feelings of rage, hate and disapproval toward people who identify as transgender or non-binary. Transphobia can be manifested in numerous ways, such as verbally, emotionally and through physical attacks.

Appendix B - Organisations and stakeholders that attended the engagement sessions

British Columbia

Conni Bagnall

Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver

Lookout Housing & Health Society

Options Community Services Society, Gateway and Parkway Shelters, Safepoint Consumption Site

Sources Community Resources Society

CitySpaces Consulting

Ellendale Treatment Facility (Elizabeth Fry) (Women with Lived Expertise of Poverty)

City of Surrey Social Planner, City of Abbotsford Homeless Coordinator

Fraser Regional Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFCA)

Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee

Bloom Group

Downtown Community Court

Indigenous Community Legal Clinic

First Call

MOSAIC

Urban Core

JustKids

First United Church

Tsow Tun Le Lum Society

Northwest Territories

Interdepartmental Working Group on Poverty (Department of Justice, Health and Social Services, Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, Education Culture and Employment, Municipal and Community Affairs and Northwest Territories Housing Corporation)

Premier

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment

Minister of Health and Social Services; Persons with Disabilities; Status of Women

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, NWT Housing Corporation, Homelessness

Native Women's Association

Alberta

Boyle Street Community Drop-In Centre

End Poverty Edmonton (Bent Arrow, Right at Home, Brentwood Housing, University of Alberta, Indigenous Elders, Multicultural Family Resource Society, City of Edmonton, Edmonton Community Foundation, Hasco Development Corporation, Edmonton Community Development Company, Edmonton Social Planning Council, Boyle Street Community Services, United Way, City Counsellors, MLA)

C5 Community Hub - Stakeholders (Bent Arrow, Boyle Street Community Services, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, Norwood Child & Family Resource Centre, Terra Centre for Teen Parents)

Saskatchewan

Homeward Bound and Kindred Spirit

Lighthouse Supported Living

Friendship Inn

Manitoba

United Way Winnipeg

Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council

Employer Consortium

Winnipeg Harvest

Main Street Project

Build and Social Enterprise Centre

Westside Children's Resource Centre

Merchant's Corner

Aboriginal Youth Opportunities

City of Winnipeg

Social Planning Council

SEED Winnipeg Inc.

University of Manitoba (student)

Make Poverty History Manitoba

Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg

Lived Experience Circle

Food Matters Manitoba

Government of Manitoba

Appendix C - Estimated monthly disposable income for families receiving the CERB compared to thresholds under Canada's Official Poverty Line

Estimated monthly disposable income for families receiving the CERB compared to threshold under Canada's Official Poverty Line

Unattached individual living in Toronto, Ontario with an annual income of $20,000

Sole-caregiver with 1 child under 6 years old living in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an annual income of $25,000

Couple with 2 children aged 8 and 12 living in rural Manitoba with an annual income of $35,000

Estimated monthly disposable income
$1,825.30/month$2,429.33/month$3,936.35/month

Appendix D - Surveys

Please note: The following populations are usually excluded from most Statistics Canada surveys: LGBTQ2S individuals, youth who have aged out of foster care, individuals recently out of prison, people experiencing homelessness and non-status immigrants.

Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

Canadian Income Survey (CIS)

Census of Population

Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Longitudinal Administrative Databank (LAD)

Point-in-Time Count (PiT)

Program on International Student Assessment (PISA)

Survey of Financial Security (SFS)

Years available: 2012, [...].

Footnotes

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Employment and Social Development Canada

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Building Understanding: The First Report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Alternate formats On this page In August 2018, the Government of Canada announced Opportunity for All - Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy . The Strategy included a commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal's target of reducing poverty by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2030.

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Number and percentage of individuals living in poverty in Canada, between 2015 and 2018

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Number and percentage of individuals living in poverty in Canada, between 2015 and 2018

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The poverty rate in Canada fell from 14.5% in 2015 to 11% in 2018. This represents a 24.1% reduction. These figures are based on the Official Poverty Line and the Market Basket Measure, however, it excludes data for the 3 territories. In 2018, 1.09 million fewer people were living in poverty than in 2015. However, this data is more than 2 years old and it remains unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect poverty rates and trends.

Reference: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/poverty-reduction/national-advisory-council/reports/2020-annual.html#h2.05

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According to Government of Canada, "the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Workers Benefit, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the National Housing Strategy continue to assist low- to middle-income Canadians and contribute to poverty reduction efforts. "

Reference:
Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy – An Update - Canada.ca)

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This podcast looks at the different ways that we as a society can help end poverty. Each episode they look at one area that is impacted by poverty and talk to experts on how these issues can be addressed. They look at how larger organizations can be profitable and ethical towards ending poverty, how addiction can impact poverty, and how individual support such as charity gift guides can help impact poverty.

Ending poverty together podcast. Food for the Hungry Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.fhcanada.org/podcast/.

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- The federal government has put into place - Poverty Reduction Strategy.
- The Government of Canada has invested in a number of areas that help to reduce poverty.
- These include current and planned investments in the National Housing Strategy, Reaching Home, the acquisition fund, infrastructure, disability benefits, as well as the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and supports for before school and after school clubs.

Reference:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/poverty-reduction/national-advisory-council/reports/2020-annual.html

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Municipal Level Government Strategies for Toronto

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Municipal Level Government Strategies for Toronto

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Recommendations of the Strategy

Housing Stability

1. Improve the quality of all affordable housing

2. Assist low-income individuals and families to secure and maintain affordable housing

3. Increase the supply of affordable housing

Service Access

4. Increase service access and availability

5. Improve access to high-quality programs for children and youth

Transit Equity

6. Make transit more affordable for low-income residents

7. Improve transit services in the inner suburbs

Food Access

8. Eliminate hunger

9. Increase access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food

Quality Jobs and Livable Wages

10. Improve the quality of and access to income supports

11. Create employment opportunities for low-income groups with high unemployment rates

12. Improve the quality of jobs

Systemic Change

13. Leverage the economic power of the City to stimulate job growth, support local businesses, and drive inclusive economic growth

14. Create a seamless social support system

15. Coordinate and evaluate the implementation of the strategy

16. Engage City  staff and residents on poverty reduction efforts

17. Dedicate funding to poverty reduction actions.

Reference:
City of Toronto. (n.d.). Recommendations & Reports – Poverty Reduction Strategy. https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/long-term-vision-plans-and-strategies/poverty-reduction-strategy/poverty-reduction-strategy-recommendations-reports/

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Recommendations & Reports - Poverty Reduction Strategy

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The Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy is the City of Toronto’s long-term strategy to address immediate needs, create pathways to prosperity, and drive systemic change for those living in poverty in the City. The Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy contains 17 recommendations to be achieved by 2035.…

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Provincial government - Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (2014-2019)

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Provincial government - Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (2014-2019)

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Child benefits: A solid foundation
The Ontario Child Benefit was the cornerstone of the first Poverty Reduction Strategy. It supports about one million children in over 500,000 low- to moderate-income families. The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) will continue to play an important role in improving the everyday lives of children and their families under our new strategy. In July 2014, the maximum annual benefit was increased to $1,310 per child.

Reference: https://www.ontario.ca/page/realizing-our-potential-ontarios-poverty-reduction-strategy-2014-2019#section-4

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Minister's message

Deb Matthews
Deputy Premier
Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy
President of the Treasury Board

We know there is potential in everyone. We see it every day in the people working and striving to get a good start in life, to raise a family and to contribute to their communities.

Children growing up in poverty have the innate potential of youth. Individuals starting over in a new country see great potential to contribute to their new homeland. Adults going back to school, perhaps after a layoff, are renewing their potential. People recovering from mental illness or addiction are rediscovering their potential. Poverty has many faces, and there are countless circumstances that lead to poverty. But we know there is one overarching path out of poverty: realizing this human potential.

Our government's renewed, refocused effort to reduce poverty - Realizing Our Potential - is built around and rooted in the determination of people struggling with poverty, those who are trying to get ahead and fully participate in the communities and the province they call home.

I'm eager to lead this effort - because I'm inspired by the progress and resolve Ontarians have already shown in fighting poverty. And I am grateful for the leadership of my predecessor, Teresa Piruzza, who oversaw the consultations and kicked off the development of this new strategy. I also want to acknowledge the continued work of my colleagues, particularly the Honourable Ted McMeekin and other members of the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion, whose contributions to our poverty reduction efforts were invaluable.

Our government's first Poverty Reduction Strategy took steps to stabilize incomes and help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. And we made great progress: had the federal government done their part and the economy stayed the course, we would likely have met our target.

In our new Poverty Reduction Strategy, we are recommitting to reducing poverty among children and youth through targeted investments and supports. We are also turning our attention to transitioning youth to meaningful employment, education and training opportunities, while expanding our focus to support employment and income security for the most vulnerable in our province.

In our new Poverty Reduction Strategy, we are also putting a focus on housing - in particular, on ending homelessness - to provide the stable foundation that helps people rise out of poverty. When people have a home, they are better able to manage other challenges in their lives. It is an important first step to moving out of poverty. But more than that, ending homelessness is the right thing to do.

As President of the Treasury Board, I appreciate just how important reducing homelessness and poverty are to the province. Homelessness costs Ontario's economy. Investments in housing can mean savings down the road because people are healthier, more ready for employment, and participating in the community. As we look for ways to make the most of public investments, it becomes clear that human resources are the province's most valuable asset in overcoming its fiscal challenges. When you leave no one behind, you arrive at a new destination stronger than ever.

A Poverty Reduction Strategy built on realizing Ontarians' potential must be one that measures progress. It's about getting the best possible results for the people working hard to leave poverty, and being the best possible partner to community groups working to end poverty.

Over the past five years, we have witnessed the resilience of Ontarians determined to get out of poverty, and the potential that can be realized when supports are put in place and barriers are removed. We have seen the ripple effects of poverty reduction in strengthening our province as a whole. Now more than ever, we know we can all play a role in creating the right conditions and opportunities that allow everyone to pursue a better future.

No one believes poverty is their destiny. No one feels their poverty defines them. No one wants poverty for their children. Everyone has the right to realize their potential. When someone living in poverty envisions a better life ahead, we need to remove the barriers that keep them from fulfilling that potential. In doing so, we'll discover an Ontario with an even higher quality of life - one that reaches everyone, one that is built by everyone.

Sincerely,

Deb Matthews
Deputy Premier
Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy
President of the Treasury Board

Executive summary

Ontario's first Poverty Reduction Strategy, Breaking the Cycle, released in 2008, demonstrates that a concerted focus on poverty reduction makes a difference. Ontario has already made significant progress towards reducing poverty in the province. But we recognize that this is a multi-faceted, complex problem. We need a sustained, comprehensive, flexible and results-driven approach. As we heard in our consultations, we need to recognize that poverty has many faces and that tackling this challenge requires a shared effort.

The new Poverty Reduction Strategy - Realizing Our Potential - will expand our poverty reduction efforts to reach more vulnerable people and will continue to reduce poverty in Ontario.

We will continue to break the cycle of poverty for children and youth

Our first Poverty Reduction Strategy put a special emphasis on children and youth, and we made steady progress towards meeting our target of reducing child poverty by 25 per cent. Between 2008 and 2011, we lifted 47,000 children and their families out of poverty. We also prevented 61,000 children and their families from falling into poverty in 2011 alone, and prevented many others from falling into poverty over the course of the strategy. Moving forward, we'll keep working towards this child poverty reduction target, using 2008 as our base year.

The Ontario Child Benefit has had a direct and lasting impact on families by helping to reduce child poverty. Going forward, it will be increased and enhanced to keep pace with inflation.

Providing for the health and wellbeing of children is a moral responsibility and essential to poverty reduction efforts. We will continue to support healthy development and learning for children with an expanded program that provides nutritious breakfasts, snacks and lunches to school-aged children and youth. We will improve children's long-term health by expanding access to health and dental programs. And we will enhance wellness with earlier identification and treatment of mental health issues in children and youth.

Progress in education is an important factor in ending intergenerational poverty. We will continue to focus on raising achievement in our schools. Access to early learning through full-day kindergarten is now available for every four- and five-year-old across the province. Obstacles to educational achievement will be removed through programs targeting youth at risk, such as summer programs that boost learning and programs that build community in urban high schools.

We are implementing programs to close achievement gaps among learners, with special emphasis on programs that enhance opportunity for Aboriginal youth and youth leaving care. A good education prepares young people for success in life, gives them the tools and skills to find their first job, and leads them on the path to a prosperous future.

¹ As of the launch of this strategy, 2011 is the most recent year for which income data is available.

We will move towards employment and income security

Employment income is key to reducing poverty. That is why we have already raised the minimum wage, and why we have introduced legislation to tie its growth to inflation - so working families' incomes can keep pace with the cost of living.

Getting a good start in the world of work is especially important for young people. Programs that boost youth employment by removing obstacles, enhancing work experience and promoting entrepreneurship will continue. As Ontario invests in economic development to boost job creation, we will pay special attention to examining how these measures can also help reduce poverty.

To connect more people with employment, especially vulnerable populations, Ontario is integrating government-wide employment and training programs to help those most in need access the right supports to become and stay employed.

Too many persons with disabilities who have the capability, skills and desire to work are excluded from the labour market, and the province misses out on their talent as barriers limit their potential. We will support collaborations and partnerships that identify and remove obstacles to employment for persons with disabilities.

Modernizing child care will help ensure that parents who want to work or go to school will have better options for safe and engaging child care. We'll also look at other services and supports, such as exploring long-term options to extend health benefits to all low-income Ontarians, which can provide more people with the opportunity to move beyond social assistance.

To maintain an effective social safety net for those in need and to help people access jobs and achieve greater financial independence, we will continue to reform social assistance.

A good income provides the means for a life of dignity. Steady work provides the confidence to keep moving forward. But to be ready for a day's work - in a job or at school - people need a place to call home.

We will establish a long-term goal to end homelessness in Ontario

A person without a home is unable to get out of poverty. To reduce poverty, we need to work towards ending homelessness. But to solve a problem, you must be able to measure it. As we lack the data to effectively tackle this issue in the short term, we are embarking on the upfront work to figure out where we stand, and will develop solutions based on evidence. Researchers and experts, including people with lived experience, will assist us in defining a baseline and setting a new homelessness-related target in the years ahead.

As we do this work, we will place special emphasis on housing supports for those who are homeless or at high risk of losing their homes. We have seen numerous examples, in communities of all sizes, where finding or staying in a secure home provides the basis for children succeeding in school, young people finding their way, adults getting a job and vulnerable people having a sense of security.

We also know that stable housing, along with the right services and supports, improves wellness for people with addictions and mental health issues, providing not only a place to live but a focal point for receiving other services they need.

Since 2003, Ontario has committed over $4 billion to affordable housing initiatives. We will continue working with the federal government to improve access to affordable housing by building and renovating more units. We will be updating Ontario's Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy, launched in 2010, to reflect lessons learned and integrate new research on best practices related to housing and homelessness.

As with all measures in the new Poverty Reduction Strategy, we will be focusing on approaches that get the best results for people living in poverty.

We will use evidence-based policy to measure success

To guide our direction, we are recommitting to our ambitious target to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent, using 2008 as our base year, and we are setting a new goal to end homelessness. To ensure we know where we are and how much further we need to go, we will improve the government's ability to accurately measure our progress. We will set a target to measure our success.

We are committed to funding programs based on evidence. We will work within government and with our community partners to place a heightened focus on evidence-building and fund programs and interventions that work for people. We will challenge ourselves and our partners to work collaboratively towards better outcomes, and reward these efforts with a commitment to sustained funding for those programs that achieve success for people living in poverty.

To provide a better indication of where efforts are needed, and which investments are working, we're creating new indicators to look at youth, long-term unemployment and vulnerable populations more closely. To help good ideas get a head start, we're creating a Local Poverty Reduction Fund to build evidence, reward local solutions that get results and help them to grow.

Through the strategy, we want to take social policy development to the next level and become a leader in evaluation in order to achieve the best results.

We will realize the potential of all Ontarians

Ontario's first Poverty Reduction Strategy began the important work of tackling poverty in a comprehensive and coordinated way. The new Poverty Reduction Strategy will continue many of the efforts already underway and add to this momentum through new strategic investments. As we move forward, we will work with our partners and with individuals to develop solutions based on collaboration. We have heard from Ontarians that there are many faces to poverty. Our efforts will be as varied and diverse as our people. Poverty reduction must reach all those who need it, so we can realize the tremendous potential that exists within the people of Ontario.

Introduction

Vulnerable groups

We know that some groups are more vulnerable to poverty than others, including Aboriginal peoples, newcomers, persons with disabilities, unattached individuals aged 45 to 64, and lone parents. That is why we will more closely track their poverty rates - to ensure our efforts are having an impact on those most affected by poverty.

For so many people living in poverty, a better life is just beyond their grasp. Access to child care might open up a world of possibilities. A good stretch of hands-on work experience can launch a lifelong career. An inspiring education program can build confidence in youth, spark their imagination and help them realize their potential to become a role model for other young people. An affordable home can provide the stability for a single mother to plan for the future - with a roof over her head and a permanent address to put down on her resume.

If the Ontario in which we want to live is a place where people can take that last step out of poverty, then we need to work to make it happen.

Realizing Our Potential will build on the progress we have made to date. It is a pragmatic plan - one that puts evidence and results first. Recent economic growth has been modest, as the economy continues to adjust to new global realities. So, we need to fix our sights on steady progress in a continuously evolving economy. We know it's not possible to address every issue all at once, but we can be creative in making full use of the resources we do have. There is no single line in the Ontario Budget that will end poverty with the stroke of a pen, but we can strike at its root causes strategically, effectively and relentlessly.

The road to a new Poverty Reduction Strategy

The collective spirit of the people of Ontario is at the heart of our new Poverty Reduction Strategy. In late summer and early fall 2013, we commissioned research, consulted with a Technical Advisory Group, and travelled across the province to hear Ontarians' perspectives on poverty reduction. More than 800 people participated in our consultations, over 65 formal submissions were provided, and over 2,000 responses were collected through market research and an online survey.

Ontarians spoke passionately about their views, and what they thought should happen next. We heard a number of common themes throughout the consultation process, including the desire for our government to expand the focus beyond children and youth, to recognize that some groups are at higher risk of poverty, to use an inclusive and comprehensive approach, and to work more closely with our partners.

All of this feedback was essential, and we want to sincerely thank each and every person, organization and community that shared their ideas. Contributions from Ontarians illuminated various aspects of poverty. Informed voices spoke to the need for further action. Every Ontarian will benefit, directly or indirectly, from this commitment to public service and community-building. And for this, we thank you.

Building on progress: Ontario's first Poverty Reduction Strategy

In 2008, our government introduced Ontario's first Poverty Reduction Strategy, Breaking the Cycle. It was a launching pad for the important work that we needed to do and showed that placing a concerted focus on poverty reduction makes a difference in people's lives.

Addressing poverty is a public policy priority. When 1.57 million people live in poverty in as prosperous a place as Ontario, there is a clear need to adapt public supports and investments - education, housing, health care and mental health care, jobs, training and other services - to the reality of everyone's current circumstances. Reducing poverty is about reaching those most in need across the province, and about making government investments and partnerships work better for everyone.

In 2008, under our first strategy, we set an ambitious target of reducing child poverty by 25 per cent over five years. We made progress, reducing child poverty from 15.2 per cent in 2008 to 13.6 per cent in 2011. In the first three years of our Poverty Reduction Strategy, 47,000 children and their families were lifted out of poverty. In 2011 alone, 61,000 children and their families were prevented from falling into poverty, and many others were prevented from falling into poverty over the course of the strategy. More families now feel the simple, private victory of believing they can get ahead in life, instead of worrying about whether or not they'll get through the month. Since 2003, the income of a single parent with two children, working full time at a minimum-wage job, has gone from less than $20,000 per year to over $34,000 per year.

Supporting working families

When we dedicate our focus to reducing poverty, we make progress. We have made progress on all of the measures set out in our first strategy. We made the largest investment in affordable housing in Ontario's history. We created the Ontario Child Benefit ( OCB), a cornerstone of the first strategy, and now invest approximately $1 billion in the OCB each year. Because of the OCB, fewer families with children need to turn to social assistance. And for many parents, it makes it easier to leave social assistance for the workforce, knowing they will continue to receive support for their children.

We knew from the outset of our first strategy that a strong federal partner was crucial to achieving our target. Unfortunately, the federal government did not make adequate investments to help Ontario meet our goals. At the same time, a global recession and the worst economic downturn in 20 years impacted our ability to achieve our target. But we did our part, and we know that poverty rates would have been much worse without our efforts.

Ontario's interventions make a difference

Numbers never tell the whole story, however. Breaking the cycle of poverty was not just about reducing the number of children in poverty but also about looking to the future. It was about making sure that many others did not fall into poverty, and about helping those living in poverty to have greater access to the tools required to build a better life. It was about providing the social support, education and training opportunities that people need to help them overcome barriers to social inclusion and employment. Through substantial investments in education, skills training and employment, we know that our efforts had a broad and long-term impact on those living in poverty and those prevented from falling into poverty. Realizing Our Potential will continue this important work.

Despite ongoing economic pressures, our government will continue to be there for those who are most in need. Reducing poverty is a complex challenge, but we can make steady and solid progress towards this goal through hard work, sustained effort, creative thinking, focused partnerships with other levels of government, and a strong evidence base.

We know there is much ground to cover and that it will require innovation in all sectors and collaboration across all levels of government. And we invite all of our partners, and all Ontarians, to join us in achieving our shared goal of reducing poverty and creating a more equitable and fair province.

² Defined as those households with incomes below the Low Income Measure ( LIM), which is 50 per cent of median adjusted after-tax household income. Our first Poverty Reduction Strategy used the LIM fixed to a base year of 2008 and adjusted to the Ontario Consumer Price Index for subsequent years. We will continue to use the 2008 base year for the new strategy. The decision to rebase to a more current year will be considered in the next Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Poverty interrupted: continuing to break the cycle for children and youth

We are shaped by the quality of our childhood. Parents understand this intuitively, and try to give their children the best possible experiences. We act on this belief as a society, too, investing in public education, health care, community infrastructure and other supports to ensure that children get the best start in life.

Research backs this conventional wisdom. Interventions during childhood are the best way to reduce the possibility of lifelong poverty. Our new Poverty Reduction Strategy remains committed to breaking the cycle of poverty with continued and strategic investments in the lives of children and youth.

Child benefits: A solid foundation

When children live in families experiencing poverty, especially prolonged poverty, they can't find a way out on their own. Children are the most vulnerable to the effects of poverty. That is why the first poverty reduction strategy focused on helping kids, families and communities. And that is why we continue to call on the federal government to increase the National Child Benefit Supplement. The Ontario Child Benefit was the cornerstone of the first Poverty Reduction Strategy. It supports about one million children in over 500,000 low- to moderate-income families.

Building on progress:

The Ontario Child Benefit ( OCB) will continue to play an important role in improving the everyday lives of children and their families under our new strategy. In July 2014, the maximum annual benefit was increased to $1,310 per child.

Beginning in July 2015, the OCB maximum annual benefit and its income eligibility threshold will be indexed to the Ontario Consumer Price Index. This means that the OCB will be adjusted for inflation each year. Keeping up with inflation makes it easier for families to afford the rising costs of basic necessities, such as nutritious food. This will help maintain the gains achieved through the OCB now and in the future.

Student nutrition: more seats at the table

When children are hungry, they can't focus on their learning. It disrupts attention. It leads to frustration. Before the day has even begun, a hungry student is already falling behind. The Student Nutrition Program helps provide nutritious breakfasts, snacks and lunches to school-aged children and youth in communities across Ontario, including those in higher-needs communities. During the 2012-13 school year, the program served more than 695,000 school-aged children and youth.

Building on progress:

Our government will expand Ontario's Student Nutrition Program so that an estimated 56,000 more children and youth in higher-needs communities can access a nutritious breakfast or morning meal at school. An initial investment of an additional $32 million over the next three years will establish 340 new breakfast programs in elementary and secondary schools and enhance support to some existing student nutrition programs.

We will also expand the Student Nutrition Program to some on-reserve schools in First Nations communities. This expansion gives First Nations communities the opportunity to lead the development of student nutrition program models that will address the unique strengths and needs of each community.

Health benefits: the fundamentals of success

Children in Ontario should never experience poor health as a consequence of the difficult financial choices faced by low-income households. Parents should never have to choose between work and social assistance, just so that their kids can get the health care that they need. Access to adequate and timely critical extended health benefits and services, such as prescription drugs, improves health outcomes. We know - and were reminded during our consultations - that good health is an important part of exiting and preventing poverty.

Building on progress:

We recently expanded income eligibility for Healthy Smiles Ontario - our integrated low-income dental benefit program for children and youth. Byexpanding income eligibility for this program as of April 1, 2014, approximately 70,000 more children and youth became eligible to receive dental services.

Building on this program, we are also committed to providing health benefits for children and youth in low-income families to ensure these kids have access to services that fall outside of publicly funded health care, including prescription drugs, vision care, mental health services and assistive devices.

Mental health: early identification and treatment

Good mental health is as important as good physical health. It is estimated that 20 per cent of Ontarians will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives, with 2.5 per cent of Ontarians having a serious mental illness. The unemployment rate of individuals with serious mental illness ranges from 70 to 90 per cent, depending on its severity, which puts them at a greater risk of poverty. Ontario's economy is also negatively affected when people with mental health issues are unable to work.

We know that mental health and addictions issues often begin early in life: 70 per cent have their onset during childhood and adolescence. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are three times more likely to have a substance use problem than people over the age of 24, and about 24 per cent of deaths among 15- to 24-year-olds in Canada are due to suicide.

With this in mind, our government launched the 10-year Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy: Open Minds, Healthy Minds. In the first three years, we focused on children and youth - because we know that early interventions can prevent further mental health issues and provide greater prospects for stable health, independence and employment later in life. More than 55,000 kids and their families are now benefiting from significant investments that total $93 million in new annual funding. Services and supports focus on fast access to high-quality services, early identification and helping vulnerable kids with unique needs.

Additional supports are helping to ensure that mental health issues are identified and treated early. For example, an expansion of the Tele-Mental Health Service to Aboriginal, rural, remote and underserved communities includes providing 29 telemedicine units to First Nations communities, trainingfor Aboriginal mental health and addictions workers, hiring more than 80 Aboriginal mental health and addictions workers in high-needs Aboriginal communities, and developing and implementing a provincial youth suicide prevention plan that includes an Aboriginal component.

Building on progress:

We will continue our work to improve mental health services for children and youth by taking the next step. Our action plan, Moving on Mental Health, will transform the experience of children and youth with mental health issues. The plan focuses on creating the conditions where, regardless of where they live in Ontario, children and youth with mental health issues and their families will know what mental health services are available in their communities and how to access the services and supports that meet their needs.

To build on this work, Phase 2 of the Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy (years four to 10) includes a long-term comprehensive approach to transforming the mental health and addictions system for adults. As this work expands, we will continue to work collaboratively with First Nations and Aboriginal communities.

³ Health Canada, A Report on Mental Illnesses in Canada (Ottawa, Canada, 2012), http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/pdf/men_ill_e.pdf.

⁴ Canadian Mental Health Association (Ontario) & Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, "Employment and Education for People with Mental Illness," (discussion paper, January 8, 2010), http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/backgrounders.asp?cID=449205.

⁵ Government of Canada, The Human Face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada (Ottawa, Canada, 2005), http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/human-humain06/pdf/human_face_e.pdf.

6 Government of Ontario, Open Minds, Healthy Minds: Ontario's Comprehensive Mental Health & Addictions Strategy (2011), http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/ministry/publications/reports/mental_health2011/mentalhealth_rep2011.pdf.

Education: success for all learners

There are many contributors to success, but access to education is key to helping children and youth realize their potential. Over the past 10 years, Ontario has made outstanding gains in improving student achievement. In 2003, only 54 per cent of children in Grades 3 and 6 met our high provincial standards in literacy and numeracy. Today, it is 72 per cent. In 2004, only 68 per cent of students were graduating from high school. Today, 83 per cent of students are graduating. That means there are an additional 138,000 high school graduates in Ontario because of the education reforms of the past 10 years.

Ontario high school graduation rates

Our work over the past decade included a focus on removing barriers - including poverty - that prevent students from reaching their potential. Performance gaps among students of different backgrounds have narrowed and in some cases, closed. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Ontario is one of the best places in the world for not only having higher than average achievement in reading, but also lower than average differences in the performance of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

To further reduce poverty, we will maintain our focus on education, especially for children from low-income families, Aboriginal students, children and youth in care, children and students with special education needs, and newcomers.

Achieving excellence and ensuring equity: realizing our kids' potential

As soon as any student starts talking about what they'd like to be some day, their dreams should become our shared goal. Over the past 10 years, we have proven that collaboration and partnership for a common purpose - success for our kids - can yield impressive results. By continuing to work together, we will create an education system that will give our children the knowledge and skills they need to embrace the challenges of the future, and the resiliency and creativity to seize opportunity.

Building on progress:

We've launched Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario, which sets out four ambitious goals for the sector:

1. achieving excellence - children and students of all ages will achieve high levels of academic performance, acquire valuable skills and demonstrate good citizenship. Educators will be supported in learning continuously and will be recognized as among the best in the world

2. ensuring equity - all children and students will be inspired to reach their full potential, with access to rich learning experiences that begin at birth and continue into adulthood

3. promoting wellbeing - all children and students will develop enhanced mental and physical health, a positive sense of self and belonging, and the skills to make positive choices

4. enhancing public confidence - Ontarians will continue to have confidence in a publicly funded education system that helps develop new generations of confident, capable and caring citizens

Full-day kindergarten and early learning: a strong start

Full-day kindergarten is one of the most significant improvements made to Ontario's education system in decades. The program is giving children a stronger start in life through early learning programs. For any child of any background, high-quality early learning can help to identify learning needs at an earlier stage, so they can get the additional support they need to succeed.

Early learning also gives us a jump on closing achievement gaps. Our approach to kindergarten offers children a full day of learning that will help them develop the social, emotional, academic and physical skills that provide a good foundation for success in school and in life. By the time children from low-income families start school, they may already face disadvantages compared to their peers from higher-income families. Enriched education environments, such as the one provided by full-day kindergarten, can help to close that gap.

Full-day kindergarten also helps parents living in poverty by providing more time in the day to pursue education, training or employment while reducing child care costs by approximately $6,500 per year.

Building on progress:

As of September 2014, full-day kindergarten will be fully implemented and accessible to all families with four- and five-year-olds.

Building on the before- and after-school programs offered for full-day kindergarten students, Bill 10, the Child Care Modernization Act, 2014, if passed, would ensure that school boards offer before- and after-school programs for six- to 12-year-olds, where there is sufficient demand, either themselves or through a third party.

Vulnerable youth: removing barriers, building potential

"Right away, students feel a sense of belonging, of being at home. It gives them a leg up on the experience of being at Samuel-Genest. It feels like it's where they are meant to be."
Réal Charette, a principal whose school used the Urban and Priority High Schools Initiative to design activities that significantly reduced anxiety for students entering Grade 7 at Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest in Ottawa, which runs to Grade 12

Ontario is committed to excellence for all students, supporting student wellbeing both in and outside of the classroom, and creating an equitable education system where all youth - regardless of their circumstances - feel welcomed and included.

The Urban and Priority High Schools Initiative, for example,provides positive experiences that keep students in school in communities facing challenges such as poverty, conflict with the law, academic achievement issues and a lack of access to community resources.

The Summer Learning Program providesstudents from kindergarten to Grade 3 withclassroom learning and recreational activities in the summer. Instead of returning to school in September a little rusty and having forgotten lessons from the last academic year, they return feeling engaged and optimistic about the year to come.

The After School Program helps sport and recreation organizations deliver quality programs for children and youth in priority neighbourhoods across the province. Each year, the program ensures thousands of kids are able to participate in fun, safe, supervised activities, while also offering working families more flexibility in the critical after school hours.

Building on progress:

Working with education and community partners, we'll continue removing barriers and improving student achievement and wellbeing through the Urban and Priority High Schools Initiative, the Summer Learning Program, and the After School Program.

To help more students overcome barriers that might otherwise discourage them from postsecondary education, we will help Grade 12 students apply to college, university or an apprenticeship program through the Life After High School program.

Aboriginal education: closing an unacceptable gap

Some First Nations, Métis and Inuit students struggle academically to achieve at the same level as other Ontario students, with gaps of up to 51 percentage points on provincial standardized assessments as compared to all students. The Aboriginal Education Strategy works toclose these gaps and improve First Nations, Métis and Inuit student achievement and wellbeing.

Building on progress:

TheAboriginal Education Strategy will continue working towards two primary objectives: to improve the student achievement and wellbeing of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, and to close achievement gaps between Aboriginal students and other students. The strategy will continue to support the vision that First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in Ontario will have the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to successfully complete their elementary, secondary or postsecondary education or training and/or to enter the workforce and the traditional and contemporary knowledge, skills and attitudes to be prosperous.

We're also supporting Aboriginal students through the Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners. It provides $30.5 million to colleges, universities, Aboriginal postsecondary education and training institutes and community stakeholder organizations to support the success of Aboriginal learners. The fund also provides $1.5 million in bursaries for Aboriginal students.

Former Crown wards and youth leaving care: supporting the first steps to adulthood

"On one particular day, the teacher asked what the students would like to learn in school, and this student said that she would like help finishing her income tax return, the first time she'd spoken in circle. The teacher arranged for someone to come in and assist students with their taxes. From that point, this student began participating more in class. She went on to earn one of the highest marks and was accepted to college, while becoming one of the most motivational students in the class."

A story from one of 20 pilots in 18 school boards for students in care of or receiving services from a Children's Aid Society

Former Crown wards and youth leaving care may be young adults, but many are still vulnerable. They can face a number of challenges as they transition to adulthood. If they want to pursue postsecondary education to prepare for a successful life and avoid falling into poverty, we need to help them. That's why we created the 100% Tuition Aid for Youth Leaving Care program that covers tuition fees at all universities and participating colleges in Ontario. We also created the Living and Learning Grant, which provides $500 per month during the school year to help former youth in care with their living expenses while they are attending postsecondary education.

Building on progress:

We've launched the Youth-in-Transition Worker Program with a $4.2 million annual investment to employ workers who provide support to youth aged 16 to 24 who are leaving care. These workers connect youth to services and supports in their communities to meet their needs, including housing, education, employment, skills training and health services.

In addition, the Ministry of Education is providing almost $2 million for Children and Youth in Care innovative program pilots aimed at creating conditions for success for secondary school students in care. Students will benefit from learning opportunities, supports and interventions to improve their educational achievements, and to close the achievement gap.

Youth Equity Lens

Government investments should reflect the needs of all citizens, especially youth who are at risk of poverty. This includes homeless youth and youth facing barriers, Aboriginal youth, youth in and leaving care, youth with disabilities or special needs, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirited and Queer ( LGBTTQ) youth, newcomer youth, and youth living in rural and remote communities.

The Youth Equity Lens was created by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to examine various government policies and programs from a youth perspective. By looking across government with an eye to increasing opportunities and reducing barriers for vulnerable youth, Ontario can make smarter investments in one of our most valuable assets - the natural optimism of young people.

Working against poverty: moving towards employment and income security

While focusing on education can help ensure children break out of - and avoid - poverty tomorrow, there are still people of all ages living in poverty today. For most of them, meaningful employment is the most effective and speediest way to exit poverty for good.

Our new Poverty Reduction Strategy will continue to clear the way for individuals to enter the workforce, to feel engaged in the life of their communities and to benefit equitably from Ontario's prosperity.

Helping youth transition to the workplace: getting a break makes a big difference

Ontario's youth unemployment rate remains considerably higher than that of the province's working-age population. Long spells of youth unemployment can lead to a "scarring" effect - lower wages and a higher likelihood of becoming unemployed later in life. Ontario's new Poverty Reduction Strategy, like the first, will keep working to provide opportunities to youth - to help them discover what they're good at and to show employers what they can do.

The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program gives youth the skills, training and experience that lead to a career. In 2013-14, there were 21,603 students in Grades 11 and 12 participating, allowing them to graduate with both their secondary school diploma and partial completion of a qualification in a trade.

We're also investing $295 million over two years in Ontario's Youth Jobs Strategy, which is helping young Ontarians find jobs, start their own businesses and gain valuable skills. It's particularly focused on helping vulnerable youth who face multiple barriers to finding employment, including those from high-needs communities and youth with disabilities. By establishing the Youth Employment Fund, the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund, Youth Skills Connections and the Youth Innovation Fund, our government is supporting initiatives that will help youth find work, build job skills or start their own businesses. To date, the four funds have created 20,000 job opportunities for young people wishing to break into the employment market. We are well on our way to meeting our target of creating 30,000 opportunities for youth.

The Youth Jobs Strategy programs will continue helping youth receiving social assistance, communities with high youth unemployment, Aboriginal youth, youth with disabilities, and youth with limited education.

Building on progress:

Under our new Poverty Reduction Strategy, we will continue supporting the Youth Employment Fund, which has already helped over 18,000 young people find jobs, get training and gain valuable work experience. Early results indicate that 95 per cent of Youth Employment Fund clients who have completed their job placements have gone on to further employment or training.

Ontario is committed to learning from the success of the Youth Employment Fund's targeting of priority groups. Our government will explore opportunities to leverage investments in economic development, infrastructure, skills and training to yield benefits for specific populations at risk of poverty, in line with the objectives of our Poverty Reduction Strategy.

We will also continue to deliver the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund, which supports youth in becoming entrepreneurs by providing mentorship, training and assistance in accessing capital in order to develop and launch their own businesses. Our government is investing $45 million to help Ontario's next generation of entrepreneurs.

Supporting entrepreneurship among vulnerable youth

One program being delivered through the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund is the Strategic Community Entrepreneurship Projects program, which supports youth facing multiple barriers to employment to gain the skills necessary to implement a self-employment venture or small-scale business. There has been a strong Aboriginal uptake of the program, at 39 per cent. In one case, a 16-week entrepreneurship training and business support program delivered by the Kenamatewin Native Learning Centre is helping 24 low-income, at-risk Aboriginal youth in Kenora and surrounding areas.

Youth Jobs Strategy

Ontario is partnering with CivicAction to increase private-sector employment and mentorship opportunities for youth. CivicAction engaged with the private sector, labour, youth and government to identify immediate and long-term employment, mentorship and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth facing multiple barriers. CivicAction has identified practical, private-sector-led actions to help all youth succeed and, with government, is now planning to implement these actions in collaboration with the private sector and community partners. The results and impact of these actions will be shared publicly, including insights to support private-sector partners across the province to take action locally.

Removing barriers to employment for the most vulnerable: supports for long-term success

Government employment programs are about connecting job seekers with job creators: helping Ontarians find the right job for them, and helping employers find the people they need. Ontario's employment and training system is an important part of the social infrastructure that helps to reduce poverty. For example, in 2013-14, Employment Ontario's Employment Service helped over 600,000 Ontarians find and keep jobs through access to job search, matching, placement, training and retention supports at over 400 locations across the province.

Building on progress:

Through the integration of our employment and training services,Ontario is focusing its resources on those who need them most, including those receiving social assistance, persons with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, Aboriginal people, newcomers, and at-risk youth, to help them access the supports they need to become and stay employed.

Integration will help those in poverty or at risk of falling into poverty to access the system more effectively and move along the continuum towards stable employment and long-term success. We are doing this by working towards the introduction of a new, more consistent approach to assessing clients' unique barriers to employment, by expanding the range of supports available for people facing barriers or at risk of not succeeding at employment, and by tracking clients' journeys through the system to make sure they are making progress.

We are working with employers to make sure that everyone is part of the solution and that Ontarians get the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. We will be partnering with employers to launch a series of pilots that will help low-skilled Ontarians, in particular, gain industry-specific skills training for in-demand occupations.

We are also committed to supporting employment for persons with disabilities and to helping employers overcome misconceptions about the capabilities of persons with disabilities. By correcting myths and addressing stereotyping, Ontario can promote the contributions of persons with disabilities and benefit from their skills. The new Poverty Reduction Strategy will continue collaborations with businesses and community employers to foster partnerships to establish inclusive workplaces.

Building on progress:

We'll bring together people from business, labour, academia, government and not-for-profit organizations to share ideas and develop new approaches. With advice from the Partnership Council on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities, this effort will include talent development initiatives focused on educational attainment, skills training and early experiences with the labour market for persons with disabilities.

Augmented education initiative

George Brown College and the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health ( CAMH) have partnered to develop and deliver an employment-geared training modelfor people with mental health and/or addictions issues who face challenges in achieving success in regular college programming. The focus of these training programs is to prepare students for jobs in the hospitality and construction sectors. To support these programs, Ontario has provided annual funding of $283,400 over the past three years.

Aboriginal peoples: supporting employment and income security

As we heard in our consultations, it is critical that Ontario move forward on a number of fronts to improve economic opportunities and support sustainable employment for Aboriginal people in Ontario, and we are doing so. We are introducing initiatives to increase the participation of First Nations, Métis and Inuit partners in mining, forestry, green energy and other areas. These initiatives will help ensure that Aboriginal people have the opportunity to succeed and fully participate in the workforce and the economy.

Building on progress:

The Jobs and Prosperity Fund includes $25 million over three years to improve access to financing and skills training for Aboriginal people and businesses, as well as new support to diversify Aboriginal economies through a new Aboriginal Economic Development Fund.

Ontario is also providing up to $30 million over 10 years to the Métis Voyageur Development Fund to support Métis economic development and entrepreneurship.

Women in poverty

Certain groups of women are disproportionately affected by poverty, particularly Aboriginal women, newcomers and single mothers. To help women living in poverty build a better future, Ontario has a number of programs that help low-income women, as well as abused women, gain new skills and access new career opportunities. These programs include the Employment Training Program for Abused/At-Risk Women, the Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training Program and the Microlending for Women in Ontario Program.

Spotlight on Success: The True Self/Debwewendizwin Program provides culturally centred employment-readiness and Microsoft Office training for Aboriginal women in the Nipissing Region. The program also welcomes all women in the region, with specific outreach to francophone women, rural women and women with disabilities. Partners include Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing, Canadore College, Nurture North, People for Equal Partnership in Mental Health and Nipissing University.

Child care: giving parents time to improve their employment prospects

Parents living in poverty, especially single parents, have child care responsibilities that affect their ability to improve their family income. High-quality child carehelps parents pursue - with peace of mind - a good job or a course of study.

Since 2003-04, our province has doubled funding for child care to more than $1 billion annually.

Building on progress:

We are supporting the modernization of child care by investing an additional $33.6 million to protect licensed child care spaces and provide subsidies to improve the quality of care. We have also introduced Bill 10, the Child Care Modernization Act, 2014, which, if passed, will support informed choices about child care options, increase access to quality child care for families in Ontario, and strengthen the quality of child care and early years programs.

Opportunity missed

Ontario works closely with its municipal partners to support a stable, high-quality child care system, but meeting demand will require partnership among all levels of government. In 2006, the federal government eliminated the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and cut $1.3 billion over three years in support payments for Ontario. We are committed to highlighting the need for a national investment in child care and working with the federal government to support greater access to quality child care and early years services in Ontario.

Help for the working poor: ensuring their financial stability

Working, low-income Ontarians need support to protect their financial stability and wellbeing. We need to ensure that people who have left social assistance are not forced to go back to access benefits. The first Poverty Reduction Strategy recognized this by making the Ontario Child Benefit available to all low-income families, including those with parents who were working.

Building on progress:

As we heard in our consultations, the risk of losing access to health benefits can be a barrier for people wanting to leave social assistance for employment. Building on the government's commitment to extend health benefits to low-income children and youth, we will begin work, including consultations, to explore long-term options to extend the health benefits program to all low-income Ontarians.

We increased the minimum wage to $11 per hour, and are proposing to index it to the Ontario Consumer Price Index to ensure that it keeps up with the cost of living.

Ontario's General Minimum Wage

We'll continue calling on the federal government to make further enhancements to the Working Income Tax Benefit ( WITB), an earned income supplement that makes a difference in the lives of working low-income Ontarians. While recent investments by the federal government to enhance the WITB are a step in the right direction, more needs to be done.

A modernized social safety net: beyond social assistance

Maintaining an effective social safety net for those in need is an important part of poverty reduction. Since 2003, social assistance rates have increased by a cumulative 17.2 per cent for Ontario Works families and individuals with disabilities receiving Ontario Disability Support Program ( ODSP) benefits. For single people without children receiving Ontario Works, the cumulative increase is 24.4 per cent. The first Poverty Reduction Strategy included a review of social assistance in Ontario to look for ways to ensure that our system does not itself become a barrier.

Guided by recommendations from the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, we announced initial changes to the social assistance system to help people move into jobs and achieve greater financial independence, and to set the stage for long-term transformation. We focused on increasing the lowest rates and changing the rules so that people can earn more without reducing their assistance, and get help from Ontario Works when they need it without depleting all of their assets.

Building on progress:

We're continuing to reform the social assistance system as a key component in our poverty reduction efforts.

This year, we again increased support by one per cent for families receiving Ontario Works and individuals receiving ODSP benefits. We also continued to increase the lowest rates, and single adults without children who receive Ontario Works now receive an additional $30 per month. This means that, overall, these single adults without children now receive $50 more each month than they did in 2012.

The rate increases reflect a new investment of $114 million annually by 2016-17.

Success story: Families First

In 2000, Peel Region created Families First, a program for sole-support parents who receive Ontario Works assistance. Ontario Works, Peel Health and Peel Children's Services work together to support the whole family. Parents build self-esteem and confidence through employment training and access to health and mental health services. There are visits with a public health nurse, subsidized child care and recreation for the kids. Children who would not normally get the chance have been able to take part in Brownies or Cadets, sports camps, swimming lessons or gymnastics. With supports in place, Families First participants are on average 1.3 times more likely to exit social assistance than their Ontario Works counterparts over a 24-month period: a total of 61.7 per cent of those in the initiative exited social assistance after 24 months, compared to 46.4 per cent of their Ontario Works counterparts. On leaving the program, Peel saw a decrease of 83 per cent in those clients reporting Ontario Works as their primary source of income.

"As a mom, if you're okay, your kids will be fine."

"I have a child with health issues and I didn't know where to go for help...the nurse helped me get information and daycare."

"My children are playing soccer...they love playing with other kids...they didn't get to do that a lot."

People living in remote northern communities, particularly First Nations, can face disproportionately high costs for basic necessities like groceries. Recognizing this, we're replacing the current Northern Allowance provided through Ontario Works and ODSP with the new Remote Communities Allowance. Through the Remote Communities Allowance, clients will receive an additional $50 per month for the first person and $25 for each additional family member, over and above the amount provided through the current Northern Allowance. That's an overall increase of 10 per cent for a single person without children receiving Ontario Works in a remote community.

Our commitment to seniors

According to Statistics Canada's Low Income Measure, the number of seniors living in poverty in Ontario decreased from 33 per cent in 1978 to 8.5 per cent in 2011. This is a trend that we are determined to see persist and one that we will continue to track, and we are making investments to support it. Our new strategy will continue to provide provincial supports to seniors in order to help them live with dignity and enjoy continued income security in retirement.

The new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan will help to ensure that today's workers can maintain their standard of living in retirement, after a lifetime of contributing to Ontario's communities and economy. The plan will help working families build a more secure retirement. It will provide a predictable stream of income, indexed to inflation, and paid for life in retirement. The plan will also return long-term economic benefits to Ontario when payouts help people maintain their standard of living and continue spending in retirement.

Low-income seniors in Ontario who qualify will continue to have a guaranteed minimum income through monthly payments from the Guaranteed Annual Income System ( GAINS). The monthly GAINS payments are in addition to the federal government's Old Age Security pension and benefits, including the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Seniors in Ontario will continue to receive up to $500 a year through the Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant, to help pay their municipal property tax bills so that they can afford to remain living in their own homes. Over a five-year period, the grant is expected to help more than 600,000 seniors with about $1 billion in property tax alleviation.

Right at home: a long-term goal to end homelessness in Ontario

The Ontario Child Benefit provides extra money to buy nutritious food for kids, but you need somewhere to cook it. Education provides a path out of poverty, but you need a place to rest and study. Connecting people with health services and offering employment training help to pave the way out of poverty, but you need an address to access them.

Many people in Ontario struggle to keep a roof over their heads, but that doesn't mean the problem is insurmountable. We have seen successes that confirm this is a problem we can solve with the right choices. Our government is learning from these successes, and applying the lessons learned. But there's more work to do in order to tackle the problem in an evidence-driven way.

Research tells us that a Housing First approach, where people experiencing homelessness obtain permanent housing and appropriate supports, is more cost-effective over the long term than emergency responses. The idea behind Housing First is that when people have a stable home along with the right services and supports, they are better able to manage other challenges in their lives. It is an important first step to moving out of poverty.

Our government is committing to end homelessness. We are doing so to shine a brighter light on this problem. We are doing so to demonstrate our commitment to finding housing solutions for Ontarians at all places along the homelessness to housing continuum - whether they need a safe roof over their head tonight, along with access to wraparound supports and services, or help to pay the rent so they can maintain stable housing over the long term.

Homelessness to housing continuum

A long-term solution requires that we continue to transform how we approach homelessness and move away from short-term solutions in favour of finding and addressing the root of the problem. It means doing more to prevent homelessness in the first place. It means spending money in the right way and on the most effective programs and services. In short, it requires us to invest in the right things now so we are not forced to pay a lot more later.

We know this is an ambitious task. We will start by seeking expert advice to develop new measures to track homelessness in Ontario. With the right information and the right tools, we will then develop a plan to reach our goal. We will report back annually on our progress.

Long-term affordable housing: keeping up the momentum

Our government is committed to a solid foundation for people to secure employment, raise families and build strong communities. In 2010, this vision led to the creation of our Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy to improve access to adequate, suitable and affordable housing.

We created and amended legislation to enhance flexibility for local communities and municipalities to deliver housing and homelessness services, tailored to their needs. Under our new Poverty Reduction Strategy, we are building on that momentum, especially in focusing more closely on those who are currently homeless or at risk of being homeless in the near future.

Building on progress:

We are aiming to end homelessness by making investments in homelessness prevention, expanding access to supportive housing, and investing in more affordable housing. We are updating the Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy by 2015-16, so that housing policies are relevant to current realities and reflect new research and best practices.

Flexibility for local housing solutions

The District of Cochrane Social Services Administration Board, in response to local need, was able to use Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative ( CHPI) funding to address a crisis situation by providing funds to the Red Cross to help families at risk of being homeless.

The City of Ottawa is combining CHPI funds with funds from the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario program to create affordable supportive housing.

The City of London is using CHPI funds to secure housing for people discharged from hospitals to ensure that no one is discharged onto the streets.

Homelessness prevention: a community effort

People experience homelessness in different ways and for different reasons. Aboriginal people, LGBTTQ youth, persons with disabilities, sole-support families, and seniors can find themselves homeless or at higher risk of homelessness for a variety of reasons. And Ontario communities experience the issue of homelessness in different ways.

As we set out with our ambitious goal to end homelessness, we know that the best responses to homelessness reflect this diversity of people's circumstances. That is why we introduced the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative ( CHPI). This program encourages local and tailored solutions through a Housing First approach.

The CHPI allows municipalities and local governments to use flexible program funding to develop homelessness programs tailored to their communities' needs. For example, funding that once had to be used for emergency shelter beds can now be used to provide stable housing and support services. This makes it easier to provide permanent homes for people in need and is better for local communities and the people they serve.

Building on progress:

Through the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative ( CHPI), Ontario committed to provide municipalities and local governments with $251 million in 2014-15 to prevent and reduce homelessness in their local communities. Under the new Poverty Reduction Strategy, our government is enhancing funding for the CHPI by $42 million starting in 2014-15, to a total of almost $294 million per year.

We know that the realities of homelessness and the required supports look different for youth and adults. Providing homeless or at-risk youth with the right kinds of housing and other wraparound supports is an important part of breaking the cycle of poverty.

Spotlight on success:

Peel Youth Village provides safe, stable, transitional housing and support services for youth aged 16 to 30 who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness. Peel Youth Village provides both short-term and transitional housing to assist youth in every aspect of transitional living and help them to transition to independent living. Peel Youth Village receives support through the Region of Peel's CHPI funding.

Ensuring that vulnerable, homeless youth can access wraparound supports and services in one place means that they are more likely to succeed. That is why we fund Young Parent Resource Centres across the province. They provide services and supports, such as education and housing supports, to over 5,000 vulnerable youth each year, including pregnant and parenting youth and their children. Many of these young women are caught in the cycle of poverty, considered high-risk, have been involved with the child welfare system, and have histories with domestic violence or substance use problems. The right supports at the right time can help break the cycle.

Working with experts on homelessness measurement

Homelessness is a complex problem to tackle, and we currently lack the right data to effectively measure and address the issue. That is why we will seek expert advice, including from those with lived experience of homelessness, to help us define the problem, understand how to measure it and collect the data, and to advise us as we set a target related to ending homelessness. Across the province, there are success stories to emulate and knowledge to be shared. We want to get it right so we can end homelessness for good.

Mental health and addictions: a place to get better

In Canada, it is estimated that a significant number of homeless people have a mental health issue. When a person with mental health and/or addictions issues loses his or her home, the situation goes from bad to worse. When a person with mental health and/or addictions issues is already homeless, he or she is much less likely to access programs and services.

Homelessness moves people further from the help they need to be well. We need to move them closer to that help by providing a home where they can focus on getting better. And, as we heard in our consultations, we need to make sure that the help they receive is in the form of wraparound services that best reflect their needs.

At Home/Chez Soi was a four-year research demonstration project funded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The program provided stable housing and support services to people with complex mental health and addictions issues who were homeless for an average of 2 ½ years.

Building on progress:

The federal investment in At Home/Chez Soi ended in March 2013. Our government will keep it going. In February 2013, our government committed to continuing to fund this important supportive housing project by investing $4 million. This funding provides 240 people with serious mental health issues living in 216 units in Toronto with rent supplements and support services to enable them to live successfully in their communities. Through the provision of quality housing and recovery-oriented services, people also see improvements in other areas of their lives, such as health, quality of life and reduced interaction with the justice system. At Home/Chez Soi is now a part of the province's community mental health system, where it fits into the spectrum of supportive housing services provided in Ontario.

Fast fact

An evaluation of At Home/Chez Soi found that for high-needs participants, every $10 investment in Housing First supports resulted in a savings of up to $21.72 (in averted costs for hospitalizations and other services). Participants also spent fewer nights in shelters or at emergency departments.

Under Phase 2 of the Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, Ontario is building on the first three years of the strategy and taking a more comprehensive, person-centred approach. We are improving transitions for youth moving to adult services and expanding the strategy to include people with addictions as well as adults, through additional investments of over $65 million in 2014-15, growing to about $83 million annually by 2016-17. The strategy will promote mental health and wellbeing for all Ontarians, ensure early identification and intervention, expand housing supports, employment supports and an integrated health and social service coordination model, and provide funding based on need and quality of services.

Building on progress:

Our government will allocate $16 million over three years to create approximately 1,000 new supportive housing spaces. Through this initiative, we are working to leverage funding under the extension of the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario program and support better local coordination between municipalities/local governments and Local Health Integration Networks in meeting the needs of individuals with mental health and addictions issues.

Affordable housing: a place to call home

Our government recognizes the critical need for more affordable housing in Ontario, and that demand far outweighs available supply. That is why, after the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games,the Athletes' Village area will form a new mixed-use community on Toronto's waterfront that will include 253 units of affordable rental housing and up to 100 additional affordable ownership units.

As well, through the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario program, we are creating and renovating affordable housing across the province. To date, funding has been committed to build and repair over 10,360 affordable units and to provide rental and down payment assistance to over 10,200 low- to medium-income Ontarians. The program also supports seniors and persons with disabilities to modify their homes in order to improve their living conditions and support their independence.

Building on progress:

We recently joined the federal government in signing an agreement to extend the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario (IAH) program for five more years.Our government is contributing over $400 million to match the federal government's commitment, for a total investment of over $801 million (combined federal/provincial contributions) for affordable housing across the province. We will continue to work in partnership with the federal government to increase the supply of affordable housing and provide more options to address housing and homelessness issues.

We will continue to provide support for off-reserve Aboriginal housing through a dedicated program under the extension of the IAH program. To date, 151 Aboriginal households have received loans to purchase homes, while 109 have benefited from a repair program, and 13 rental projects for 138 units have been approved for funding.

Affordable housing investments

Federal housing funding: seeking a sustained, long-term solution

While we welcome the federal government's continued investment in the Investment in Affordable Housing in Ontario program, we know that sustained effort is essential to combating homelessness and poverty. We continue to urge the federal government to return to the table as a long-term housing funding partner in the area of social housing, and to continue to work with us to build affordable housing. Our collective success demands long-term, sustainable and flexible housing funding.

Federal funding for existing social housing units in Ontario will decline from almost half a billion dollars annually to zero dollars by 2033. Without sustained federal funding, facilities deteriorate, necessary repairs and improvements cease, and families are put at risk of homelessness.

Declining federal investments in housing

When individuals and families have a home to call their own, they have improved health, education and employment prospects, and they are that much closer to exiting poverty.

Investing in what works: using evidence-based social policy and measuring success

Reducing poverty means investing in the right supports. Poverty is a complex issue, and our resources are limited. Making the most effective investments based on evidence, lessons learned and best practices is more important than ever.

Our government is committed to funding programs based on evidence. We must invest in programs and policies that demonstrate measurable evidence showing that they work to make people's lives better. This requires us to improve methods and implement rigorous, ongoing evaluation to measure performance.

Together with our community partners, we will work to put a heightened focus on evidence-building in order to fund programs and interventions that work. We will challenge ourselves and our partners to work holistically toward better outcomes, and we will reward these efforts with a commitment to sustained funding for programs that achieve strong outcomes for people.

In short, we will spend money where it measurably improves the lives of people living in poverty. This principle is at the heart of good government and it will guide our success in poverty reduction.

The high cost of poverty

Poverty costs us all. In 2008, the total estimated annual public cost of poverty in Ontario was $10.4 billion, while the total estimated annual private cost was $21.8 billion. Clearly, there is a strong financial imperative for our province to break the cycle of poverty by lifting out those who are currently living in poverty, and by preventing others from ever falling into poverty in the first place.

Local innovations: tapping community-specific knowledge

Reducing poverty is not a top-down effort. Poverty looks different in different areas of the province, and for different communities across Ontario, including, for example, urban and rural communities, Aboriginal communities and francophone communities. Under our first Poverty Reduction Strategy, we heard from our municipal and community partners about the value of tapping into local, community-driven solutions and fostering collaborative partnerships across Ontario. In response to this feedback, supporting innovative action at a local level to reach solutions will be central to our efforts under the new strategy.

Building on progress:

We're investing $50 million over five years to create a new Local Poverty Reduction Fund targeted at supporting local solutions to poverty. The fund will support innovative poverty reduction efforts across the province. It will also help communities mobilize their efforts in poverty reduction by providing funding over the next five years to build on local strengths, address local needs and build evidence.

As we heard in our consultations, too much time is taken up by our community partners in writing grant applications and seeking short-term funding. To reward organizations that deliver consistent results, we will commit to more sustained funding.

We will work with a centre of excellence to guide, support and oversee these efforts to ensure proper accountability through evidence-building, reporting and information-sharing.

Social enterprise: doing business and doing good

Across Ontario, there are about 10,000 social enterprises - businesses that have a positive social, cultural or environmental impact while generating revenue. Of these businesses, 70 per cent are focused on poverty reduction. By investing and partnering in efforts that encourage and build social enterprise, and by piloting new social finance approaches, our government can leverage the efforts of those who are helping to lift people out of poverty and help build stronger communities.

Initiatives include the Ontario Catapult Microloan Fund, which provides financing for early-stage social enterprises, many of which create jobs for members of traditionally disadvantaged groups and offer innovative approaches to address the systemic challenges of poverty. The fund is a partnership between the provincial government and the not-for-profit and private sectors.

Building on progress:

We're investing $4 million in the Social Enterprise Demonstration Fund, deployed in partnership with not-for-profit organizations working in communities across the province. These participating organizations will help leverage significant private-sector funding, and will provide grant and/or loan funding to early-stage social ventures to help them implement solutions to pressing social challenges.

Initiatives also include a commitment to work with private-sector investors to pilot one or more Social Impact Bonds, which provides an opportunity to leverage new funding for prevention-focused approaches that will result in improved outcomes for Ontarians in need.

Targets and goals: our continued commitment

In 2008, under our first strategy, we set an ambitious target of reducing child poverty by 25 per cent over five years. We did our part, and we made great progress. We helped reduce child poverty from 15.2 per cent in 2008 to 13.6 per cent in 2011, and, as a result of our efforts, 47,000 children and their families were lifted out of poverty in just three years, while 61,000 were prevented from falling into poverty in 2011 alone.

Building on progress:

We are recommitting to reducing child poverty by 25 per cent, using 2008 as our base year. Under our new strategy, we continue to call on the federal government to make a significant investment in poverty reduction, and to be a true partner on an issue that affects us all socially and economically.

We are committing to a bold and ambitious long-term goal of ending homelessness in Ontario. We will set a target to measure success. This new strategy provides us with an opportunity to expand on our original vision. We know that stable housing and related services are an essential foundation for the success of other interventions.

As we expand our focus to reduce homelessness under this strategy, we must be practical and understanding of the broader context. Achieving an end to homelessness will not happen overnight, but that doesn't mean important work cannot begin right now. We are laying the foundation by seeking expert advice to develop new measures to track homelessness in Ontario. With the right information and the right tools, we will develop a plan to reach our goal. We will report back annually on our progress.

Indicators: tracking our progress

As we work to reduce poverty, adjustments to our approach will be needed as we collect evidence and understand what has worked and what has not been successful. By assessing where we have made gains, we will uncover lessons that we can apply and identify solutions that we can replicate elsewhere. By assessing where we have fallen short, we will be able to have important discussions about where a change in course or greater coordination is needed.

Ontario's first Poverty Reduction Strategy included eight indicators that, taken together, offered a more accurate picture of the impacts of child poverty in Ontario. The indicators cover key aspects of opportunity such as health, education, income security, material deprivation and housing security. Under the first strategy, we made progress on all eight indicators.

We will continue to track seven of the eight indicators from the first strategy, where data continues to be readily available:

birth weights

school readiness (Early Development Instrument)

educational progress (combined grade 3 & grade 6)

high school graduation rates

Low Income Measure (LIM50)

Depth of Poverty (LIM40)

Ontario Housing Measure

Changes at Statistics Canada eliminated the survey that carried the Ontario Deprivation Index, making data on the existing Standard of Living indicator inconsistent and likely unavailable in future. We will continue to measure poverty as accurately as possible through existing and new indicators, in spite of a lack of key federal data, which has led to the removal of this indicator.

Building on progress:

We're expanding our indicators to look more closely at youth education, employment and training, long-term unemployment, and the poverty rates of vulnerable populations.

The three new indicators are:

Not in education, employment or training (NEET) - we will more closely track the percentage of youth and young adults who are not in education, employment or training. They are at higher risk of persistent poverty and social exclusion. In 2013, 11.6 per cent, or 316,200, of all youth and young adults aged 15 to 29 were in this category in Ontario

Not in education, employment or training

Enlarge | Get the data

Long-term unemployment - we will more closely measure the percentage of working-age Ontarians (aged 25 to 64) experiencing long-term unemployment. They are getting less work experience and are becoming disconnected from the labour market. In 2013, 1.8 per cent, or approximately 107,000, of all working-age Ontarians were experiencing long-term unemployment
Enlarge | Get the data

Poverty rates of vulnerable populations - we will more closely track the poverty rates of several vulnerable populations. This will include Aboriginal people living off-reserve, newcomers, persons with disabilities, unattached individuals aged 45 to 64, and female lone parents. Of those people who are 16 years and older in Ontario and who live in poverty, 66 per cent, or 823,000 people, belong to one or more of these vulnerable groups. Tracking this indicator will give a clearer picture of how our interventions are impacting the most vulnerable in our province. In 2011, these vulnerable groups had an aggregate poverty rate of 19.4 per cent

Vulnerable groups with high poverty rates, Ontario, 2011

Enlarge | Get the data

¹⁰ Due to changes at Statistics Canada, it is unclear whether the Province will be able to continue reporting on the Ontario Housing Measure. More information on the status of this indicator will be available once the Canadian Income Survey is released in fall 2014.

Compensating for a lack of federal insight

Poverty may be a human issue, but data is critical to address it. National poverty reduction efforts are hampered by federal decisions that have resulted in lower-quality data. The federal government has eliminated important surveys, such as the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics and the mandatory long-form census, which were used to track outcomes among vulnerable groups. Researchers are concerned that the replacement surveys will not provide data that is as reliable or comparable, hindering effective policy analysis. We will do all that we can to continue to measure poverty as accurately as possible.

Tracking our progress: Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy indicators

Annual reporting and oversight: providing strong leadership

Accountability and partnership are central to our government's new Poverty Reduction Strategy. To ensure that we work together in our poverty reduction efforts, a representative group of ministers will continue to ensure ongoing oversight for the strategy. We will continue to publicly report annually on our progress. We will also engage in regular outreach to seek input and feedback from our partners on our efforts. And we will use this information to make improvements and adapt our work to have the most effective impact on low-income Ontarians across the province.

A strong federal partner: collaborating on solutions

A strong federal partner is necessary if Ontario is to meet our poverty reduction goals. Helping everyone to be at their best and to escape poverty should be a national enterprise. Through our new strategy, we are renewing our call on the federal government to be fair to Ontario, and to work collaboratively with us to develop and implement poverty reduction solutions that meet the needs of Ontarians.

We continue to:

call on the federal government to increase the National Child Benefit Supplement

highlight the need for a national child care program, and call on the federal government to recognize the links among child care, employment and poverty reduction, and to do their part to support opportunities for Ontario families

call on the federal government to make further enhancements to the Working Income Tax Benefit, an earned income supplement that makes a difference in the lives of working low-income Ontarians

urge the federal government to return to the table as a long-term housing funding partner in the area of social housing and continue to work with us to build affordable housing

call on the federal government to reintroduce important surveys that provide data to help us track progress

In our consultations, we heard repeated requests for us to work with the federal government on poverty reduction. While the issues are complex, through commitment and collaboration between Ontario and the federal government, we know we can more effectively address issues related to income security and overall poverty reduction. By working together, we can help to realize the full potential of all Ontarians living in low income, to Canada's benefit.

Conclusion

Realizing Our Potential reflects our conviction that, with the right supports, many people experiencing poverty can have brighter futures. It is a call to action for all Ontarians to help in this effort. It will succeed by mobilizing everyone's unique ability to play a part in ending poverty - teachers, nurses, tradespeople, employers, elected officials, public servants, volunteers and so many others.

Addressing complex challenges can be filled with uncertainty. The global economy is always changing. The population of Ontario is not static. New opportunities are always emerging, and unexpected challenges may arise. Throughout Ontario's history, we have made social and economic progress through every type of circumstance we have faced. In continuing to reduce poverty and in ending homelessness, we will do the same. We are determined. We will achieve successes, learn from failures and reset our sights on stated goals. We will trust in the ability of Ontarians to continue building up and realizing the potential of our province, and make it a home we can all be proud of together.

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Realizing Our Potential: Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy (2014-2019)

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Deb Matthews Deputy Premier Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy President of the Treasury Board We know there is potential in everyone. We see it every day in the people working and striving to get a good start in life, to raise a family and to contribute to their communities.

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This video is from the Context: Behind the Headlines channel. This video looks at the impacts that poverty has on families starting at an early age, the issues that a person can have trying to get out of poverty, the impact of poverty on mental health, and the organizations that are trying to help people get out of poverty.

Context: Behind the Headlines. (2020, March 5). Canada's poverty problem - youtube. YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvNyPTRbo74.

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Municipal government - Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy

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Municipal government - Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy

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The Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy is a concrete 20-year plan that focuses on housing stability, services access, transit equity, food access, the quality of jobs and incomes, and systemic change.

Reference: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/long-term-vision-plans-and-strategies/poverty-reduction-strategy/

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The Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy is a concrete 20-year plan that focuses on housing stability, services access, transit equity, food access, the quality of jobs and incomes, and systemic change.

The 2019-2022 Term Action Plan was unanimously adopted by City Council on November 26, 2019.

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy is a concrete 20-year plan that focuses on housing stability, services access, transit equity, food access, the quality of jobs and incomes, and systemic change. The 2019-2022 Term Action Plan was unanimously adopted by City Council on November 26, 2019.