[homeles_ot-l] Urgent - Provincial consultation on Poverty Reduction Strategy in Ottawa August 26th

[Linda Lalonde]

Hi folks,
There are several initiatives to tell you
about but the most pressing is the province’s consultation on the Poverty
Reduction Strategy’s five year plan renewal.
First I will apologize for the short notice
– we just received the notice for this consultation this morning. We had heard
it was in the works but the details were only confirmed with a week left until
the event. Also, my apologies if you receive this more than once – we are
asking that everyone circulate it in their networks because the time is so
short and it’s the summer.
The provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy
was put in place in 2008 through legislation that requires the government to
review the Strategy and develop a new one every five years. The current one
expires in December of this year and so a committee of the provincial cabinet
is developing a new one. They have hired a consulting firm that is going to
select communities to meet with people to get input on the success/failure of
the current plan and looking for ideas for the next one. Because Yasir Naqvi,
MPP for Ottawa Centre is on the cabinet poverty reduction committee, one of the
consultations will be taking place in Ottawa. They are asking people to
pre-register although we have been told that nobody will be turned away if they
just come. Here’s the details:
Date: Monday, August 26th  from 1:00 to 4:00 pm - Registration begins at
noon.
> 
>Place: Riverside Room, St Elias Centre, 750
Ridgewood Avenue, Ottawa – this is the church opposite Mooney’s Bay at the
corner of Ridgewood and Riverside.
>There is parking there and the #87 bus will
let you off on Springland Drive near Ridgewood  - NOTE: the instructions from the provincial consultant say to get off
at Riverside & Ridgewood but the 87 doesn’t go there.
They are requesting an RSVP no later than
this Thursday to rezaee at veritasinc.comand are asking people to let them know if you need any accommodation to
participate. NOTE: they do not mention bus fare or childcare – I have emailed
them to ensure that these are available but haven’t heard back yet. If you need
them, make sure that you mention it.
Here are the questions they will be working
from – our information from other communities is that they spend an hour on #1
& 2; another hour on #3 & 4 and the rest of the time on # 5 and other
issues:
1.     Looking back over the last five years of
Ontario’s first Poverty Reduction Strategy, what worked well? What can we do
differently moving forward?
>2. Our first Strategy
focused on children. Going forward, should we continue to have a specific
focus? If so, who or what should be our focus? 
>3. What is the most
important thing the Government of Ontario can do to help reduce poverty? Is
there an initiative we implemented as part of the first Strategy that we should
revisit? 
>4. How can all levels
of government, community groups, the private sector, and other stakeholders
work together to better address the barriers that keep people from getting out
of poverty (e.g., access to: employment, education, child care, supports,
etc.)? 
>5.
When it comes to reducing poverty in Ontario, what would success look like 15
years from now?
There
is a booklet about the Poverty Reduction Strategy that gives some info about
the first five year plan and lists the successes (as defined by the
government). It would be worth reading before the consultation and it’s at:
http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/documents/breakingthecycle/PovertyBooklet.pdf
As you know, the Ottawa Poverty Reduction
Network (OPRN) has been involved in all the poverty reduction and social
assistance review initiatives in the city for several years. We’d also like to
know who all is going to this so please let us know if you are able to be
there. We will be sending out a summary of the afternoon afterwards so anyone
who can’t be there can stay in the loop. 
 
There are, of course, other things going on
around poverty reduction measures that the OPRN is following closely. There is
a review of the Minimum Wage that Yasir Naqvi is organizing as part of his work
as Minister of Labour. There is a consultation being planned , probably in late
September, in Ottawa on the minimum wage. The Minister of Community &
Social Services is bringing together an advisory group to look at implementing
the recommendations of the Social Assistance Review Commission. We are very
pleased that a member of the OPRN is on that advisory group and will be
providing us with updates. 
SAVE
THE DATE!
The OPRN will be holding a Community Forum
on September 25thto follow up on the renewal of the provincial
Poverty Reduction Strategy and to look at next steps for the Social Assistance
Review and possibly the Minimum Wage Review. We will send out time, location
and sign-up info as soon as we can.
We are working on a few other ideas and
will have more info at our regular meeting which will be on September 10th,
1:30 pm, at Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre, 225 Donald Street.
Please let us know if you can be there.
 
Please pass this information on as widely as possible so that we can have  a good representation at the consultation.

Thanks and please try to attend the August
26thconsultation if you are able,
Linda.
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