[homeles_ot-l] Rent Banks - Response from MMAH Minister's Chief of Staff on rent banks

Mon Apr 28 09:52:23 EDT 2008

FYI

Jennifer Ramsay, from the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO), has
been keeping on top of concerns about the continuation of the Ontario Rent
Bank. Her latest information is that it will be continuing but there will be
no annual allocation and funds will allotted on a case by case basis. 

At the end of emails below between Jennifer and David Arbuckle from the
Housing Division of the Municipal Affairs and Housing Ministry, you’ll find
some BACKGROUND that could be adapted for Ottawa to use in letters and
emails.

Lynne Browne 
Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness 
147 Besserer Street, Ottawa ON  K1N 6A7 
613-241-7913 x 205, lbrowne at ysb.on.ca 
www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca 

   _____  

From: Arbuckle, David (MAH) [mailto:David.Arbuckle at ontario.ca] 
Sent: April 25, 2008 2:52 PM
To: Jennifer Ramsay
Subject: RE: more on rent banks

We are committed to funding the Rent Bank program.  How much will depend on
the specific need at the local level. 

   _____  

From: Jennifer Ramsay [mailto:ramsayjg at lao.on.ca] 
Sent: April 25, 2008 2:41 PM
To: Arbuckle, David (MAH)
Subject: more on rent banks

Thanks - can you write anything more specific about funding $$$ - I really
would like to forward your message to people, but I'm not sure what you have
written will do the trick in terms of letting people know that the
government is committed to funding the rent banks...?

J

   _____  

From: Arbuckle, David (MAH) [mailto:David.Arbuckle at ontario.ca] 
Sent: April 25, 2008 2:39 PM
To: Jennifer Ramsay
Subject: RE: Thanks, Dave

Thanks for the chat Jennifer.

As discussed, our Ministry and our government are still very much committed
to the Rent Bank.  We are aware that some areas of the province are
experiencing greater need.  Our Ministry is glad to work with local Service
Managers to better understand their specific financial need and address them
quickly and appropriately.

If Rent Banks have any specific concerns, they are,of course, welcome to
contact our Ministry's Housing Division directly.

Thanks,

Dave

   _____  

From: Jennifer Ramsay [mailto:ramsayjg at lao.on.ca] 
Sent: April 25, 2008 2:13 PM
To: Arbuckle, David (MAH)
Subject: Thanks, Dave

For clearing that up - I'm looking forward to your written note as soon as
possible so that I can allay some fears.  

Jennifer Ramsay

Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator

Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)

425 Adelaide Street West, 5th Floor

Toronto, ON M5V 3C1

HYPERLINK "http://www.acto.ca/"www.acto.ca

416-597-5855 x5168

Toll free: 1-866-245-4182

E-mail: ramsayjg at lao.on.ca

BACKGROUND for presentations, letters and emails:

I am attaching the fact sheet here [I posted it in.  It's Toronto
information, but your own rent banks will have their own stats as they are
required to report each year.  JR] .  Could you please forward it to your
contacts.

Take a Minute today to Save the single most effective Homelessness
Prevention program in Ontario: the Rent Bank

Fact: The Rent Bank Program has been the single most effective homelessness
prevention program in the province, keeping 3,107 households in Toronto
alone from being evicted since November 2004 (when provincial funding
began).

FACT: Last year (from January 1 to Dec. 31), 975 households (which consisted
of 2,274 people: 1,329 adults; 639 children (0-12); 306 (children 13-17)
were able to maintain stable tenancies through Rent Bank assistance.

FACT: Using a conservative estimate, assuming that 15% of the Toronto Rent
Bank clients would have ended up in the shelter system had they not received
a Rent Bank loan, the Rent Bank in Toronto is estimated to save the City of
Toronto’s shelter system in the order of $655, 963 per year.

FACT: 43% of Rent Bank clients are currently repaying their loans, with the
Toronto Rent Bank receiving 71% of the funds back to reinvest in the
program. Very soon this program has the potential to be self-sustaining.

FACT: In February 2007, when Premier Dalton McGuinty announced an additional
investment of over $4.8 million to Rent Bank Programs in the province, he
said: 
Since we created the Rent Bank, we’ve helped save 8,000 families from
eviction. The latest investment will help even more families stay in their
homes during tough times.

FACT: Even the suggestion that there is consideration on the part of the
provincial government to end this program is a disgraceful contradiction to
last weeks fanfare poverty reduction conference at Queen’s Park.
Homelessness prevention is THE critical key for individuals and families in
their fight against poverty. The loss of housing means a deepening spiral
into poverty that is more difficult to overcome, not to mention the stress,
depression, and detrimental effects on the development of children.

FACT: The suggestion further exasperates housing help services and workers
on the frontline of the housing crisis because of the recent disaster of the
ill-conceived and poor implementation of the token ROOF program the funds of
which would have served low-income working families in Ontario with their
rents much better if they would have been given to augment the existing and
successful Rent Bank program.

FACT: We demand that the Rent Bank program receives continued support, if
not increased support from the Provincial Government, as the McGuinty
governments first gesture to truly being committed to addressing
homelessness issues and supporting poverty reduction work.

Housing Colleagues, please send this, or your own message to Minister Jim
Watson, Premier Dalton McGuinty, Cabinet members as listed below, and your
local MPPs:

Jim Watson
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
E-mail jwatson.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Office phone 416-585-7000
Fax 416-585-6470

Mario Sergio 
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs
and Housing (Housing)
E-mail msergio.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org
Office phone 416-743-7272
Fax 416-743-3292

Dalton McGuinty
Premier
E-mail: dmguinty.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Office phone: 416-325-4800
Fax: 416-325-4989

George Smitherman
Deputy Premier
E-mail: gsmitherman.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Office phone: 416-327-4300
Fax: 416-326-1571

Deb Mathews
Minister of Children and Youth Services with
Responsibilities for Women's Issues
E-mail: dmathews.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Office phone: 416-212-7432
Fax: 416-212-7431

Scott Harcourt
Marketing Housing Branch
416-585-7529

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page23.aspx
--link to the Ministry of Housings website

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page350.aspx
--link to the public contact forum for the Ministry of Housing

Thanks,

Gladys Wong
Executive Director
Neighbourhood Information Post
269 Gerrard Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 2G3
Tel: 416-924-2543
email: HYPERLINK "mailto:gladys at nipost.org"gladys at nipost.org
website: HYPERLINK "http://www.nipost.org/"www.nipost.org

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