<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Yutaka Dirks (ACTO)</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dirksy@lao.on.ca">dirksy@lao.on.ca</a>></span><br>
Date: 4 April 2012 15:50<br>Subject: Housing Network of Ontario: Take action to stop budget cuts!<br>To: "Yutaka Dirks (ACTO)" <<a href="mailto:dirksy@lao.on.ca">dirksy@lao.on.ca</a>><br><br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold">Speak out against the budget cuts! <u></u><u></u></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">The 2012 Ontario Budget is out of
step with the reality facing hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who struggle
with a lack of the healthy, quality, equitably accessible housing they can
afford. <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in"><u></u><font color="black" face="Symbol"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span>·<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></span></font><u></u><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">There are </span></font><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">1,301,395
tenant households in <u></u><u></u>Ontario<u></u><u></u>
and 125,000 residents living in housing co-ops; accounting for almost one-third
of our province’s population. </span></font><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in"><u></u><font color="black" face="Symbol"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span>·<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></span></font><u></u><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Over 13 percent of
households live in poverty in <u></u><u></u>Ontario<u></u><u></u>
and </span></font><font color="black" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:windowtext">627,530 of these
households </span></font><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">are unable to afford shelter that
meets adequacy, suitability, and affordability norms, placing them in </span></font><font color="black" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:windowtext">core housing need. Persons with
disabilities, people of colour, single mothers, Aboriginals and new immigrants
are all disproportionately among this number, and most, but not all of these,
are tenants.</span></font><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in"><u></u><font color="black" face="Symbol"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span>·<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></span></font><u></u><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Thousands more stay in
homeless shelters across <u></u>Ontario<u></u>; for
instance, in 2010, 22,276 people in <u></u>Toronto<u></u>,
7,156 people in <u></u><u></u>Ottawa<u></u><u></u>
and </span></font><font color="#231f20" face="Univers"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Univers;color:#231f20">2,859 people in
Waterloo Region</span></font><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> had to stay in homeless shelters.</span></font><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">And yet the 2012 <u></u><u></u>Ontario<u></u><u></u> Budget failed to move forward on
constructing new affordable housing or providing a housing benefit to help
people pay the rent. Instead, Finance Minister Duncan tabled a budget that
threatens the ability of Ontarians to keep a roof over their heads: <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
government wants to freeze social assistance rates and delay the scheduled
increase in the Ontario Child Benefit. <u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">They
also intend to cut the Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit, which
helps save the housing of thousands of tenants on social assistance each
month who are facing eviction. <u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
Budget would also get rid of the rental housing building inspectors where
local government does not provide this service, which will result in
increased substandard housing in rural and northern communities. <u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
Budget also includes the fourth consecutive cut to the operating budget of
the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), a 12% reduction from
fiscal 2009. <u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold">The Liberal
Government and the NDP have asked for our opinion on the budget. We need to
tell them that: <u></u><u></u></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
Community Start-up Benefit should not be cut!<u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Social
assistance rates should not be frozen – people on assistance need an
increase that will let them keep up with the rising cost of living!<u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
full Ontario Child Benefit must be implemented now!<u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Provincial
building inspectors must continue to be available to keep rural and
northern rental homes in good repair!<u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Reverse
the cut to the operating budget of MMAH<u></u><u></u></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Answer the Liberals’ survey
at: <a href="http://budget2012.questionpro.com/" target="_blank">http://budget2012.questionpro.com/</a><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Contact the NDP at: <a href="http://www.ondpcaucus.com/yoursay/" target="_blank">http://www.ondpcaucus.com/yoursay/</a><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">All Ontarians should be able to equitably access housing they
can afford, and supports should be provided to ensure thriving, inclusive
communities. This budget should strengthen the economy, create jobs and support
the construction of new affordable housing. There’s still time for us to
reverse course and ensure that <u></u><u></u>Ontario<u></u><u></u>
moves forward on reducing poverty and addressing the housing needs of people of
all incomes. <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial">Housing Network of <u></u><u></u>Ontario<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial"><a href="http://www.stableandaffordable.com/" target="_blank">www.stableandaffordable.com</a><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
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</div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Terrie ( <a href="mailto:mocharebyl@gmail.com" target="_blank">mocharebyl@gmail.com</a> )<br>“If you see an injustice being committed, you aren't an observer, you are a participant.” June Callwood <br>
'If it is not on the menu cook it yourself' Buffy St Marie <br><div style="padding:0px;margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;overflow:hidden;word-wrap:break-word;color:black;font-size:10px;text-align:left;line-height:130%">
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