Persistent Poverty by Brice Balmer Mira Dineen Jamie Swift

Author:Brice Balmer, Mira Dineen, Jamie Swift [Brice Balmer, Mira Dineen, Jamie Swift]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Poverty & Homelessness
ISBN: 9781926662275
Google: n3rYBAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Between the Lines
Published: 2010-12-08T05:08:07+00:00

Imagine an Ontario in which no one has to go to bed hungry, rely on food banks for something to eat, tell their children that the food is all gone, or make a choice between heating or eating. Imagine the energy that low-income people might have, the activities they might take up, and the contributions they might make to society if they were properly nourished and no longer worn down by the stress and strain of worrying about where the next meal is coming from. Imagine harnessing all the energy of thousands and thousands of food bank volunteers for other worthy projects. Imagine the savings to the health-care system that would come about if there were an investment in preventive health that ensured that everyone could afford a healthy diet.

Social assistance rates now bear no resemblance to the cost of living. If there were ever a rationale for the levels at which those rates are set, it is lost in the mists of history.

We have the data to set up a market basket approach to social assistance rates that would be tied to the cost of living in different communities around the province. We might quibble about the details of what needs to be included in that market basket to promote dignity and a sense of belonging, but everyone would agree that it has to include access to a basic, healthy diet. The Nutritious Food Basket methodology, developed by Health Canada many years ago, is a respected, useful way of assessing the cost of a basic nutritious diet. The government has already mandated that Public Health Units use the Nutritious Food Basket to collect data annually about the actual cost of a healthy diet. Why does the government not use those data to inform social assistance rates?

As part of its commitment to reduce poverty by 25 per cent by 2013, the Ontario government has promised a full review of the income security system. It is time to ensure that this review is set up. Once it is set up, it will be time to press for social assistance rates that are tied to the real cost of living, including the cost of food. This step would represent an investment in health. It would be an investment in promoting dignity. It would be an investment in the future of the province.

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