Poverty Awareness in York Region

Aurora Public Library home of June 7th's York Region Poverty Free Ontario presentation
York Region draws modest turnout to a stellar presentation
Hey..the fresh coffee was great and fair trade product
Dennis Bailey, Legal Clinic of YR Director (above left) engages YR Councillor John Taylor at Poverty Free Ontario presentation held at the Aurora Public Library. Poverty Free Ontario has a mission to eradicate, not reduce, poverty.

Someone asked me at a fundraiser for Edward and Damian, what it was that I had meant in a video where I'd said volunteering at a homeless shelter was "sexy". The two guys' names I refer to were a once homeless father and son who had found themselves by circumstance homeless and living in the forest in winter. The system seemingly deemed them not a fit, but as a result of publicity we generated about their plight through mainstream (York Region Media Group) media and PACC channel on You Tube, received a tremendous outpouring of public support for them and the friends from the street they'd leave behind. The media coverage brought much needed attention to the lack of shelters and programs for men in York Region at the time, the absurd rules within the system and the fact that affordable housing - homes - for these guys, or at least transitional housing, was needed to give a chance to succeed or "step out". Surely we could do better for our own than this had been the outcry!

Getting back to 'sexy". What I meant was that many "do-gooders"(god bless them), as "good" as they are, would mostly rather be known amongst their friends and peers for ' helping the poor" by volunteering at an Inn From the Cold, than for advocating for those they purportedly want to "help"per say. If people truly wanted to "help" they'd lobby to get their fellow human beings more money from social services so as to help them afford to get a place to live, buy their own food with dignity and able them to compete for a life.... and they'd help lobby our government to encourage and support step-out opportunities to help these sons and daughters and fathers and sons survive, and encourage them to provide some safe and affordable homes to actually live in after their 6 weeks maximum shelter stay is up. I used to say compete, we needed to try and help people marginalized by circumstance by providing all the tools needed to compete I'd say, but now it's down to survive. That type of help just isn't as sexy it seems with the Jones' though, especially if they live next door to the Nimby's, however it's people's dignity that is sacrificed, and as those numbers grow so too do the mental health crisis costs. So why not try and reduce this mainstream-onians? Not sexy enough? Grab me another blanket please.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states " Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of ALL members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace.......

Why the sexy talk? Because I believe it's the same formula the provincial poverty reduction strategy will be taking in this election year, judging by all pre-indications. Last round for them, their "sexy" was tackling poverty through the heart strings by focusing on woman and children, while 90% of our homeless are men. 44 year old males have been the median age for those newly becoming homeless for over 10 years running now, but who cares about facts? Facts get in the way of a good thing for some.

York Region, Ontario, Canada has only 25 full time shelter beds for men in a population base of 1 million. Women and some children make up the bulk of the available spaces through various categories ( family, abused women, youth, women's) with 2 more shelters for women in the works including some more transitional housing, meantime the Sandgate Women's Shelter in Georgina and located on the beach is somehow annually booked in advance by returning attendees during summer season so I'm informed. How they know in advance they are going to be abused (again) during a certain month I don't know, but this has been common knowledge for some time (from an inside worker) and yet we keep getting fed this line about the tremendous "need" for shelters. These types of abuses and misuse of the system leave an unwanted black-eye of another kind, and leads to misguided use of our scarce resources for housing and programs in York Region.

What we actually "need" in York Region - spelled out in the YR Social Audit " Behind The Masks" - are more affordable places to live for singles ( male and female) and (older) couples without children as well as transitional housing for men - or a men' s centre with programs similar to those the women have already, as written about in a recent YRMG article.

Poverty Reduction Strategy
The next strategy of poverty reduction attempted by the current provincial government and lead by Minister Laurel Broten will be focused on the working poor is my prediction, with a cross over housing benefit open to low income earners or perhaps property owners - but ultimately packaged along with some other goodies- I'm sure on the backs of the sexy "working poor". Much sexier than "bums on welfare" don't you think? Of course no-one says focusing on something isn't good, just not at the expense of others, which is what we'll see is my prediction.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25 states that " (pre-amble) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate to the health and well being of himself(herself) and of his (her) family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood beyond his or her control."

By allowing such conditions currently such as providing our lowest income residents with an income that is $11,000 below the poverty line and that within the make-up of our "system" asks our own to use unhealthy sources for food - like food banks - and by not providing these above listed rights but instead CHOOSING to spend our country's wealth on tax breaks, military " needs", and any other cost - my goodness, are we not in breach of this declaration now!?

Edward was able to get off the streets and into a place to live and into a job through our and your assisting efforts and donations, and now so too has his son gotten off the streets. For some others however, without the helping hand we and you gave, and who may be enjoying summer weather now, come October will again looking to spend some winter time in and out of living outdoors - which is criminal to do to an animal in this country - but not apparently our residents!

There is no investment better this province and country can make than giving back dignity, and in turn strength, to her own.

Recent POVERTY FREE ONTARIO article from YRMG

Enjoy part 1 of the documentary on Damian and Edwards plight!



TP Out!