On April 8, 2020 Arash Ghiassi, lawyer at Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC), hosted a press conference on ISAC’s open letter addressing income insecurity and assistance during the COVD-19 pandemic in Ontario. The letter demanded that social assistance rates be raised and that federal benefits be exempt from clawbacks from social assistance recipients. It has been signed by over 140 community organizations.
The conference was co-hosted by Andrea Hatala (Recipient Co-Chair, ODSP Action Coalition), Dr. Jonathon Herriot (Family Physician and Health Providers Against Poverty Co-Chair), and Talia Bronstein (VP Research and Advocacy, Daily Bread Food Bank).