[homeles_ot-l] Link to info report on changes to CSUMB and discretionary benefits going to CPS on Nov 15th

Fri Nov 9 13:02:03 EST 2012

Hi folks,

Please make sure to read the piece marked *Important* below. It is, well, important!

Here's the link to the more detailled explanation of the changes the department is proposing in the 2013 budget as a result of the province's changes to discretionary benefits and the Community Startup and Maintenance Benefit:

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/cpsc/2012/11-15/03%20-%20ACS2012-COS-CSS-0012%20Investment%20Report.pdf

You will see that they have shuffled a lot of $$ from other areas of the City as well as changed the eligibility criteria and scope of some items. So, for instances, they will still cover a basic burial or cremation but will not pay for a funeral service or visitation. Things like glasses and dentures will still be available but not as often.

The main casualty of this re-jig is the one-year Community Grants program which provided small grants (up to $20,000) to organizations to either deal with emerging issues in their community or pilot new programs with the intent of getting other funding once they'd demonstrated it worked. This funding envelope is particularly important for smaller organizations that don't have the flexibility in their budgets to try anything without outside funding and they will be the hardest hit by this cut.

My suggestion is that the community should be pushing for the retention of this envelope, even if it has to be at a reduced amount. It is currently at $575,000 per year and I will be asking CPS and Council to retain it at $300,000 for 2013. It's important to look at this in the broader context of funding possibilities in the community. Five years ago, small organizations had the possibility of seeking support from the Community Foundation, the Trillium Foundation, the United Way and this grant envelope. The United Way has cut their project grants and, if this goes through, the only source for short-term grants for small projects will be the Community Foundation and the Trillium, both of which have limited funds available.

*Important*

We need to make sure that we are laying the blame for these cuts on the right shoulders. These are not cuts the City or the Department chose to make but that have been forced on them by the province as a result of cuts to the provincial 2012-2013 budget. That budget was passed in June 2012 and the first of the cuts took effect on July 1st, less than a month later. Our city found ways to maintain the programs and services until December 31st but can't absorb a cut of that magnitude on a permanent basis. We are talking about millions of dollars, not a small tinkering with the funding transfers from the province to the municipality.

What has happened is that the Community Services Department and the rest of the City have scrounged a pretty good 'save' for the majority of the programs by redirecting money from outside the Department, realigning Department funds and changing the criteria for some items. There are also casualties that, under the proposed draft budget, will not be receiving any funding or will receive greatly reduced funding. The biggest and most regrettable of those proposals is the removal of the one-year Community Grants program which I think should be saved.

It is very important that we don't let this go by without taking it to its source. Please, please, please go and talk to your MPP about the effects these cuts will have on you, your organizations and your community. They were slipped in among the fine print in the provincial budget, probably with the intention of hiding them until the deed was done. The province expects that the municipalities will manage their budgets responsibly but then, in mid-year, dumps huge funding cuts on them. It's very interesting that the item which costs the province $$, the measly 1% increase to social assistance cheques, was not implemented until the end of November/beginning of December cheques while the items that would save the province $$ were implemented less than a month after the budget was passed.

The other point that needs to be brought to the attention of the MPPs is that they set up the Social Assistance Review Commission which was to report back this summer on the best ways to do a comprehensive reform of the social assistance system. Making adjustments moments before the Commission reports their recommendations was, to say the least, disrespectful of that process. The Commission has suggested that the funds that were cut be restored.

It also concerns me that our local social service staff will be the ones who will have to deal with the consequences of these provincially-caused cuts. If a client happens to request something on January 10th instead of December 10th, it will be city staff saying no and trying to direct that person to other services which may well be non-existant.

Please consider coming to the Community & Protective Services Committee meeting on November 15th at 9:30 in the Council Chambers at City Hall when they will be discussing the budget. As well as hearing the discussions and interventions from the community, you can make a five-minute presentation to the Committee on the budget proposals. To do that, you can book a spot by calling Marc Desjardins at 613-580-2424, ext 28821 or by emailing him at Marc.Desjardins at ottawa.ca. You can just turn up and sign up to speak on the day but, if you call in advance, it helps them plan and tells you roughly when you'll be speaking.

I hope lots of you will contact your councillors and come down on the 15th to put your two cents forward. Please also talk to your MPP - they can't be allowed to get away with this. 

Note: Bob Chiarelli, MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean, has been appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing which means he will be overseeing the preparation of the 2013-2014 provincial budget for housing. I know he'll want to hear what Ottawans have to say on that topic. He's at bchiarelli.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org or 613-721-8075 - set up a meeting and go talk to him!! 

Linda.
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