COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

LOW SOCIAL
ASSISTANCE RATES
Many youth attributed their poverty to social
assistance rates that were much too low to live
on, and impossible to build futures with. Social
assistance rates were often so low that young
people were forced to choose between paying rent,
eating, or clothing themselves. Without access
to adequate income, youth struggled to procure
housing or obtain a job, often lacking the funds
for transit fare or professional clothing to attend
interviews. Many youth viewed government cuts to
social assistance programs as directly producing
homelessness in Canada.
“I find that it’s already difficult
to get by on $600 a month [of
social assistance], especially
with housing prices ... Even if you
have housing... if you’re lucky,
with some roommates, it’s $300.
That’s half. It leaves you with
$300. I even have supports here
[at the agency] and I eat from the
trash. That’s how I feed myself …
How can anyone get out of it?
You can’t even save.”
MONTREAL YOUTH
SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO OBTAINING
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE OR EMPLOYMENT
Youth described multiple barriers to accessing social assistance and employment. With respect
to income supports, youth described difficulties navigating multiple bureaucratic barriers and
requirements that they were often unable to meet (e.g., identity documents, proof of citizenship,
proof of income or residence). Youth also experienced difficulty accessing income supports when
shifting from one form of social assistance to another (e.g., child welfare and disability support
programs), a gap that some felt increased their risk of homelessness. Lack of knowledge about
where and how to apply for social assistance was also an issue for some young people, and some
youth reported feeling stigmatized, embarrassed, or put down during the application process.
For youth who did qualify, funding was often slow to come through and
some youth had become homeless before they could access funds.
Youth also discussed at length the challenges they faced when applying for employment,
including: lack of ID, limited resume-writing skills, limited funds for transit, few references, few
educational credentials, and no address or phone number to list on a resume. Youth explained
that these factors made it difficult to gain work experience, and this lack of experience was often
cited as a reason for not being hired.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 39