Addressing Poverty In Grey Bruce - Grey Bruce Health Unit

Jason Weppler – Health Promoter
Grey Bruce Health Unit

Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy
• 25 in 5 (reduce poverty by 25% in 5 years)
• will move 90,000 children out of poverty
• based on Statistics Canada’s Low Income Measure
(50% of median income or $27,000 for single Mom
with two kids in Toronto)

Strategy #1 Ontario Child Benefit
• Increase of up to $1310 per child per year
• Support for 1.3 M children in low‐income families

Strategy #2 Parenting and
Family Literacy Centres
• Ti Triple Number of Centres to 300
• Located in Schools
• Helps prepare children and families for transition to
• Helps prepare children and families for transition to
kindergarten

Strategy #3 After School Programs
• $10 M annually
• Support children in high needs neighbourhoods with
new programming
• Currently 237 program operating

Strategies #4 Youth Opportunities Strategy
• Help Kids Overcome Economic Disadvantages
• Jobs, Training and Outreach
• Eg. Summer Job Program, YouthConnect.ca, Youth
Outreach Worker Program

Strategy #5 Provincial Rent Bank Program
• Has Prevented More Than 15,500500 Evictions
• Dedicated Commitment of 5 M/year
• 2009 $60B infrastructure plan for social housing

Strategy #6 Community Opportunities Fund
• Funding to Encourage Neighbourhood Revitalization
• Assist Local Leaders in Coordinating Revitalization
Projects

Strategy #7 Community Hub Program
• Focus on Schools as Hubs of the Community
• Provide Educational and Social Supports

Strategy #8 Student Nutrition Program
• Healthy breakfasts, snacks and lunches
• Create 700 New and Expand 300 Existing Programs

INDICATORS:
1. School Readiness (EDI)
2. Depth of Poverty
3. Low Income Measure
4. Standard of Living (Deprivation Index)
5. Ontario Housing Measure
6. Birth Weights
7. High School Graduation Rates
8. Educational Progress (EQAO)

Reducing Poverty in Ontario –
A Place Based approach
• June 10, 2009
• Kitchener, Ontario
• Guest Speakers:
• Sherri Torjman – Caledon Institute of Social Policy
• Db Deb Matthews – Minister i of Children & Youth Serv.
• Robin Cardozo – CEO Ontario Trillium Foundation

Ontario’s Goal is 25 in 5…
•What Number is your
Community Going to Achieve

PLACE BASED PREMISES TO
POVERTY REDUCTION
• Interventions and Actions Carried out in Place – in
Neighbourhoods, Towns and Cities
• Poverty is a Complex Problem Best Tackled Through h a
Variety of Interventions
• Place Based Approach to Poverty Addresses Chapter 2
of Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy

WHY PLACE BASED
• Communities are Unique – Strengths and Needs
• One Strategy Doesn’t Work For All
• Those in Poverty Live Somewhere
• Past Places May Affect Current Place

PLACE BASED INTERVENTIONS
• Population Health
• Social Infrastructure
• Social Capital
• Social Inclusion
• Early Childhood Development
• Human Capital
Poverty is not all about income but places where people
can go, gather, etc. that affects their quality of life

BUILDING RESILIENCE
• Four Major Areas Of Investment
1. Sustenance (food security, housing, income security)
2. Adaptation (Literacy, Networks, E. C. Development)
3. Opportunity (employability, job creation, asset
building, ownership)
4. Engagement (cultural expression, empowerment,
meaningful participation)
Can’t address all areas at once but no one piece stands alone

Bridges Out Of Poverty
• June 18, 2009 Hosted by Grey Bruce Children’s Alliance
• Owen Sound, Ontario
• Gayle Montgomery/Mary Lou Robb –
Lambton County Social Services
• Help professionals gain a deeper understanding of the
challenges and strengths of people living in poverty

BRIDGES OUT OF POVERTY
• Poverty – “the extent to which an individual does
without resources” (financial, emotional, physical etc.)
• 87% of “work time “ spent dealing with service
providers
• Low Income Measure Family of 3 = $22,239
Ontario Works provides $13,740

“Mental Models” of Poverty
• Mental Models are an internal picture of how the world
works; determines how we act
• Poverty – “Relationships”
Focus on food, housing, jobs, transportation
• Middle Class – “Achievement”
Focus on education, careers, retirement, and vacations
• Wealth – “Connections”
Focus on politics, private clubs, finances and travel

Mental Model ‐ Businesses
• Poverty – Predatory Businesses
Pawn shops, liquor stores, fast food, check cashing,
laundromat, “rent to own”, used car lots
• Middle Class – Shopping Malls, bookstores, banks,
fitness centers, coffee shops, golf courses, restaurants
• Wealth – Corporations, International Business, Event
Sponsorship, Boards of Directors

“Hidden Rules” of Economic Class
• Individuals Bring Hidden Rules of Class in Which They
Were Raised
• Schools and Businesses Operate From Middle Class
Norms (proactive, abstract and verbal)
• Need to Understand and Use the Hidden Rules to
Need to Understand and Use the Hidden Rules to
Improve Relationships and Program Design.

Examples of “Hidden Rules”
TIME:
Poverty –present most important and decisions are
made for the moment on feelings or survival
Middle Class – Future is most important and decisions
i
are made against future ramifications
Wealth –Traditions and history are most important and
decisions are made partially on this basis

Example #2
• POWER:
• Poverty –power linked to personal respect; can’t stop
bad things from happening
• Middle Class –power and respect are separated; power
in information and institutions
• Wealth –power in expertise, connections and stability.
Power influences policy and direction.

Bridges Out of Poverty
• “Many successful people are inclined to attribute their
situations to their own ability and effort – making
them, in their minds, more deserving than less
successful people. They ignore the support they
received from families, networks of friends and kin,
schools and powerful others.”
• “No significant learning occurs without a significant
relationship.”
Dr. James P. Comer