Top Story: Community Start Up & Maintenance Benefit
The CSUMB ends as of December 31, 2012.
As before, please use this link to send an email to the ministers protesting the elimination of this critical benefit – and circulate it among your colleagues and friends:
http://sareview.ca/isac-news/act-now-to-save-housing-supports-for-people-on-ow-and-odsp/
Here are the most recent stories on this issue:
Northumberland County searching for solutions to CSUMB elimination and other funding cuts:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2012/11/25/county-searches-for-local-solutions-to-social-services-funding-cuts
Niagara Region raising taxes by 1.97%, in part to deal with loss of CSUMB:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/12/07/regional-taxes-up-197
District of Parry Sound facing cuts:
http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/news/article/1545813–budget-cuts-impact-homelessness-services
The face of homelessness in Peterborough:
http://www.mykawartha.com/community/article/1542313–friday-focus-i-am-the-face-of-homelessness
Experts say government cuts have created a ‘crisis’ for homeless queer youth
http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Out_in_the_cold-12900.aspx
“You cannot eliminate community startup and maintenance and reduce discretionary benefits without change” says Niagara administrator:
http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/849414–food-hamper-funding-could-be-cut-by-50-per-cent
“The provincial government has cut funding and downloaded the problem to the city level,” says Toronto Councillor:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/338242#ixzz2EOyfGgbM
Alliance Against Poverty calls on municipalities to lead: “it pays to invest in the poor”:
http://rabble.ca/news/2012/12/you-have-choices-appeal-government-end-poverty#.UL95jSDZdE0.twitter
Cross-provincial meeting in Hamilton this Thursday:
http://hamiltonpoverty.ca/?p=578
Kitchener residents protest loss of CSUMB:
http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/842752–local-residents-protest-cuts-to-social-services
Ottawa residents protest loss of CSUMB:
http://metronews.ca/news/ottawa/460728/provincial-cuts-to-housing-program-for-disabled-met-with-protests/
Sudbury residents protest loss of CSUMB:
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2012/11/22-downtown-poverty-protest-sudbury.aspx
Women and Trans Rally against the cuts in Toronto:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/johnbon/2012/11/women-and-trans-groups-call-ontario-government-cancel-cuts-community-
- Press release: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/will-the-minister-responsible-for-women-consign-more-women-to-poverty-1729687.htm
- George Brown student newspaper: http://dialog.studentassociation.ca/index.php/broten-targeted-over-cuts-to-start-up-benefit/
In Kawartha Lakes, because of differential need for CSUMB assistance, the problem is not as bad:
http://www.haliburtonecho.ca/2012/11/19/social-assistance-benefits-to-be-restored
LAMP Community Health Centre blog:
http://www.lampchc.org/blog/one-impact-austerity-agenda
LAMP holds a CSUMB clinic:
http://www.lampchc.org/content/stop-cut-csumb-walk-clinic-dec-6th-and-13th
A letter to the editor from Minister John Milloy:
http://www.therecord.com/opinion/letters/article/843313–housing-supports-not-being-cut-in-half
Liberal Leadership Race
Candidates square off on The Agenda – discussion of poverty starts minute 40:00:
http://ww3.tvo.org/video/186065/ontarios-next-liberal-leader
Former chief justice Roy McMurtry endorses Eric Hoskins for Lib leader:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1297644–ontario-liberal-leadership-prominent-tory-roy-mcmurtry-says-hoskins-will-make-an-outstanding-premier
Letter to the Editor on Pupatello’s “coming down like a lion on welfare cheats” comment:
http://www.thespec.com/opinion/letters/article/841745–poverty-fight-needs-action-not-more-review
Reports and Opportunities
Ve’Ahavta is accepting applications for their next Street Academy starting in February – click the link and scroll down to see the announcement:
http://www.veahavta.org/
Report from the CCPA Ontario: A Living Wage As a Human Right:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/living-wage-human-right
Three great papers from Sheila Block on income inequality, for the Broadbent Institute:
http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/en/blog/sheila-block-reducing-labour-market-inequality-canada-three-steps-time
National Issues
Fantastic letter to the editor on growing inequality and the democratic deficit it creates:
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Opinion+Combating+poverty+question+political+will/7627720/story.html
And published in the Post: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/11/26/rick-goldman-were-not-as-poverty-proof-as-we-think/
Polling: Canada’s government may be trending right, but Canadians aren’t:
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/12/03/canadas-government-is-trending-right-canadians-arent/
Underemployment is driving excessive anxiety among young workers:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/underemployment-driving-excessive-anxiety-among-young-workers/article4907041/
