REALITY
CHECK
Poverty in
Windsor-Essex
Making Poverty
Everyone’s Business
P2P is a City of Windsor and County of Essex funded
initiative to reduce and prevent poverty in Windsor-Essex.
Defining Poverty
Poverty results from barriers
to social and economic resources
that prevent well-being and access
to opportunities in the community.
Some of these opportunities include:
• Economic Security – Employment
Income and Public Income Supports
• Basic Needs – Housing, Transportation,
Child Care and Food Security
• Education and Skills Training
• Physical and Mental Health Services
• Full Participation in Society
Our mission: Together we will reduce poverty and
ensure the social and economic well-being of residents
who live in Windsor-Essex.
Our aspiration: Windsor-Essex is a thriving
community where every family and individual builds
potential through access to quality opportunities,
supports, and resources that work for them.
The unfortunate reality is
that the average family in
Windsor-Essex might be
a job loss, wage decrease,
or illness away from
living in poverty.
Low Income Measure (LIM)
Poverty in
Windsor-Essex
is a reality.
In the Windsor Area 91,170 residents work
Statistics Canada’s definition of LIM: a fixed
Ontario’s minimum wage currently sits at
family income, where “adjusted” indicates that
$11 per hour, $10.30 per hour for students and
family needs are taken into account.3
will increase to $11.25 per hour, $10.55 per hour
for students, on October 1, 2015.7
as defined by Statistics Canada’s Low Income Measure.1
Population groups in Windsor-Essex
experiencing poverty2
6%
Canada’s Low Income Measure by Household Size
in 2011 – After Tax Income4
Size of Family Unit
Year
1 Person
2 Persons
3 Persons
4 Persons
5 Persons
19,930
28,185
34,520
39,860
44,565
Minimum Wage just doesn’t add up.
Making minimum wage, full time (37.5 hours per week),
52 weeks a year amounts to a gross income of
$21,450 per year ($21,938 after October 1, 2015).
The living wage for Windsor-Essex (valid through
July 2015) is $13.10 per hour with benefits
SENIORS
Living Wage
14.1%
COUPLE FAMILIES
A living wage reflects what earners in a family
22.1%
(i.e., healthcare/medical), and $14.15 per hour
without benefits. Making a living wage of $13.10 per
hour amounts to a gross income of $25,545 per year.
after government transfers and deductions.
30.3%
It is calculated using the actual cost of living
for a specific community.5
NON-FAMILY PERSONS
34.1%
LONE PARENT FAMILIES
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
$2,128.75
2000
35%
40%
Data Tables produced by the Canadian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data
available from its Community Data Program (communitydata.ca) and provided to Windsor-Essex by Tamarack-An Institute
for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
2
Data Tables produced by the Canadian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data
available from its Community Data Program (communitydata.ca) and provided to Windsor-Essex by Tamarack-An Institute
for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
3
Canada. Statistics Canada. Low Income Lines, 2011-2012. Catalogue no. 75F0002M, no. 002, 2013. Accessed February 24, 2015.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/75f0002m2013002-eng.pdf.
4
Canada. Statistics Canada. Table 202-0808 - Low Income Measures by Income Source and Household Size,
2011 Constant Dollars, Annual (dollars). CANSIM (database). 2013.
Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&id=2020808#F1.
5
livingwageWE.ca
“Many residents cannot afford the expenses
that others take for granted. They struggle
to meet their basic needs of shelter and food.”
$1,828.13
$1,787.50
LIM = $1,660
1500
$1,098
1000
$656
need to earn to cover all of their annual expenses,
CHILDREN
5%
Student wage applies to students under 18 years of age if they work 28 hours a week or less when
school is in session, or if they are employed during a school break or summer holidays.
2500
MONTHLY INCOME FOR AN INDIVIDUAL $
percentage (50%) of median adjusted economic
In our community, 73,910 people live in poverty,
0%
Income Source Comparison for Single Adult
in Relation to Low Income Measure8
and make less than $20,000 a year.6
500
1
Canada. Statistics Canada. National Household Survey (NHS) Profile 2011, Windsor, CMA, Ontario. Catalogue no. 99-004-XWE. 2013.
February 24, 2015. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E.
7
Canada. Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Labour, Your Guide to the Employment Standards Act, 2000: Minimum Wage. Ottawa: Queen’s
Printer for Ontario, 2015. Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pdf/es_guide.pdf.
8
Income Security Advocacy Centre. Current social assistance rates. 2014.
Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.incomesecurity.org/resources.html; Canada. Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Labour, Your Guide
to the Employment Standards Act, 2000: Minimum Wage. Ottawa: Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2015.
Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pdf/es_guide.pdf; Working for a Living Wage Brochure, Pathway to
Potential. Calculation based on: National Framework for a living wage. 2014.
Accessed April 13, 2015. http://pathwaytopotential.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LW_Booklet_spreads.pdf.
6
0
ONTARIO
WORKS
ODSP
MINIMUM
WAGE
at 37.5 hours
per week before
October 1, 2015
MINIMUM
WAGE
at 37.5 hours
per week after
October 1, 2015
WINDSOR-ESSEX
LIVING WAGE
Though poverty cuts across Canada’s
social boundaries, and can affect anyone,
certain demographic groups are overrepresented among those living in poverty
and have been captured here in this report.
Poverty rates among different groups in Canada.2
Poverty Rate: (%)
13.4%
Overall Poverty Rate: 14.9%
SENIORS
17.3%
YOUTH (AGE 15-24)
14.5%
Approximately 4.8 million
people in Canada are
living in poverty.1
NON-ABORIGINAL IDENTITY
25.3%
ABORIGINAL IDENTITY
10%
COUPLES WITH CHILDREN
28.6%
UNATTACHED ADULTS
33.8%
FEMALE LONE PARENT FAMILIES
13.6%
NON-IMMIGRANTS
34.2%
RECENT IMMIGRANTS
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Citizens for Public Justice. The Burden of Poverty: A Snapshot of Poverty across Canada. Ottawa: Citizens for Public Justice, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.cpj.ca/burden-of-poverty.
Citizens for Public Justice. The Burden of Poverty: A Snapshot of Poverty across Canada. Ottawa: Citizens for Public Justice, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.cpj.ca/burden-of-poverty.
1 2 40%
1 in 6 people
that you pass on the
street in Windsor-Essex
currently live in poverty.1
1
Canada. Statistics Canada. National Household Survey (NHS) Profile 2011, Windsor, CMA, Ontario. Catalogue no. 99-004-XWE. 2013.
Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E.
“My classmates are on a field trip.
My parents kept me home because they
didn’t have the $10 for me to go.”
• Roughly 1 out of 5 (19,410) children and youth in Windsor-Essex live in poverty.1
• Of these 19,410, 14,555 children and youth live in Windsor.2
• Food banks in Ontario served 43.7% of their meals, a total of 62,193, to children in 2014.3
• 54.2% of low-income children live in two-parent families.4
• Nearly 40% of children living in poverty in Ontario live in a family where at least 1
parent is working the equivalent of a full-time, full-year job.5
• Children who live in poverty are more likely as adults to develop a range of
diseases and have lower life expectancy.6
Data Tables produced by the Canadian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data available from its Community Data Program (communitydata.ca) and provided to
Windsor-Essex by Tamarack-An Institute for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
Data Tables produced by the Can adian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data available from its Community Data Program (communitydata.ca) and provided to
Windsor-Essex by Tamarack-An Institute for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
3
The Unemployed Help Centre of Windsor, Inc., personal communication, February 24, 2015.
4
National Council on Welfare, Poverty Profile 2007: Children Living in Poverty, No. 4, 2009.
5
Anita Khanna. 2014 Report card on child and family poverty in Ontario: Child Poverty, 25 Years Later: We Can Fix This. Toronto: Ontario Campaign 2000, 2014.
Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.campaign2000.ca/anniversaryreport/ONRC2014EN.pdf.
6
Dominique Fleury. Low income children. Statistics Canada – Perspectives. Catalogue no. 75-001-X. 2008. Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2008105/pdf/10578-eng.pdf.
1 2 “We both work. We should be able to send
our son on a school field trip, but we budget
every dollar and $10 just isn’t available.”
• Almost 25% of Ontario workers earn wages below the poverty line.1
• I n Windsor-Essex, a minimum wage earner working full time makes an average
of $1,650 a month, only $28 more than the Low Income Measure (LIM).
• 12% of adults accessing food banks are currently employed.2
• Households with the lowest income spent 51.8% of their budget on shelter, food,
and clothing as compared to those with the highest income who spent 28.7%.3
• Almost half of Canadians feel they are 1 to 2 paycheques away from being poor.4
Ontario Common Front. Falling Behind, A Report of the Ontario Common Front. Toronto: Ontario Common Front, 2012.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.weareontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCF-RPT-FallingBehind-20120829.pdf.
Food Banks Canada. Hunger Count 2014. Toronto: Food Banks Canada, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/getmedia/76907192-263c-4022-8561-73a16c06dd2f/HungerCount_2014_EN_HR.pdf.aspx.
3 Canada. Statistics Canada. Survey of Household Spending, 2012. Released January 29, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/140129/longdesc-cg140129a001-eng.htm.
4
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Growing Gap, Growing concerns: Canadian Attitudes Toward Income Inequality. 2006.
1
2 “I have worked all my life, raised a family, and
contributed all that I could — only to retire into poverty.”
• Windsor-Essex has 56,400 seniors.1
• 6% (3,370) of seniors in Windsor-Essex live in poverty.2
• Between 2006 and 2011, the poverty rate among Canadian seniors rose by 25%.3
• The poverty rate for single female seniors is over 30%, while the rate for single male seniors is over 20%.4
• More than 1 in 10 Windsor seniors were still working in 2013.5
Old age benefits vs Poverty:6
Average monthly CPP benefit*
$540.46
Average monthly OAS benefit* $536.54
Average monthly GIS benefit* $457.76
Total $1534.76
2012 Poverty Line** $1633.08
* October 2014 average benefits
** Poverty line for a single person in a city of 500,000 or more
Data Tables produced by the Canadian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data available from its Community Data Program (communitydata.ca) and provided to Windsor-Essex by
Tamarack-An Institute for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
2
Data Tables produced by the Canadian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data available from its Community Data Program (communitydata.ca) and provided to Windsor-Essex by
Tamarack-An Institute for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
3
Canadian Labour Congress, Labour’s Plan for Retirement Security: How It Works for Everyone. Retirement Security for Everyone Pamphlet. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Congress, 2014.
4
Canadian Labour Congress, Labour’s Plan for Retirement Security: How It Works for Everyone. Retirement Security for Everyone Pamphlet. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Congress, 2014.
5
Canadian Labour Congress. Retirement Security for Everyone: Ontario. Retirement Security for Everyone Pamphlet. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Congress, 2014.
6
Canadian Labour Congress, Labour’s Plan for Retirement Security: How It Works for Everyone. Retirement Security for Everyone Pamphlet. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Congress, 2014.
1
“I came to Canada to work as a radiologist, but my
qualifications were not recognized. I had to work a
minimum wage job while updating my credentials.
Later, I still couldn’t find a job in my field.
I returned to India, frustrated and disappointed.”
• Many immigrants have high levels of education, and often find their training and work experience
from other countries undervalued in Canada.1
• I mmigrants and refugees in Ontario are at risk for homelessness due to poverty, discrimination,
cuts to social programs, lack of housing services, and a lack of information about their rights.2
• 33% of immigrants live in poverty, while 12% of non-racialized and non-immigrant populations
live in poverty.3
Windsor Area
No post-secondary certificate,
diploma or degree
• 1 in 4 people in Windsor-Essex are an immigrant.4
Post-secondary certificate,
diploma or degree
• 1 0,140 recent immigrants settled in
Windsor-Essex between 2006 and 2011.5
According to the 2006 census for the
Windsor area, 21.87% of immigrants have a
post-secondary certificate, diploma, or
degree versus non-immigrants at 11.96%.
21.87%
11.96%
Immigrants
Colour of Poverty. Fact Sheet #5: Understanding the Racialization of Poverty in Ontario, 2007.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.povertyinpeel.ca/pdfs/fact-sheet1-understanding-racialization.pdf.
2
Colour of Poverty. Fact Sheet #5: Understanding the Racialization of Poverty in Ontario, 2007.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.povertyinpeel.ca/pdfs/fact-sheet1-understanding-racialization.pdf.
3
Campaign 2000. 2013 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada. Toronto: Family Service Toronto, 2013. Access
on February 24, 2015. http://www.campaign2000.ca/reportCards/national/2013C2000NATIONALREPORTCARDNOV26.pdf.
4
Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership. Our mosaic: a snapshot of diversity in Windsor-Essex. 2014 Brochure.
5
Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership. Our mosaic: a snapshot of diversity in Windsor-Essex. 2014 Brochure.
1
Non-immigrants
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is a social assistance program that provides financial
and employment support for those with a disability.
The ODSP Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that is continuous or recurrent, and
expected to last one year or more. The effect of the impairment must have a direct and cumulative effect
on a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living, such as personal care and functioning at work
or in the community.1
ODSP benefits per month are approximately as follows:2
ODSP Recipient: Benefits:
Single
Single parent + one child
Single parent + two children
$ 1,098
$ 1,624
$ 1,796
*note how a single parent with one child would get $526 for that child, but a single parent with two children gets only $349 for each child.
“I have a severe mental illness
that keeps me from working,
but the income from my
disability benefits keeps me
stuck in poverty. It’s hard to
cope when every month I’m
worried about how I’m going
to get my basic needs met.”
• ODSP recipients are 11 times more likely to be unemployed compared to those not receiving social assistance.3
• Maximum income for an individual on ODSP is $13,176 per year; LIM (Low Income Measure) is $19,930.4
• Most people who have a disability live below the poverty line because they are not able to get full-time
and well-paying jobs. Social assistance only covers the most basic necessities.5
• Of the 27,600 ODSP applications granted in 2009-10, about 60% of clients had a mental illness.6
• 69% of food bank clients rely on either Ontario Works or ODSP as primary means of support for day to day living.7
Canada. Ontario. Ministry of Community and Social Services. ODSP Information Sheet. Modified August 13, 2012. Accessed on November 25, 2014. http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/odsp/info_sheets/what_odsp.aspx.
Income Security Advocacy Centre. Current social assistance rates. 2014. Accessed on September 29, 2014. http://www.incomesecurity.org/resources.html.
3
John Stapleton, Stephanie Procyk, and Lindsay Kochen. What stops us from working? New ways to make work pay, by fixing the treatment of earnings under the Ontario Disability Support Program. 2011.
Accessed on November 25, 2014. http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/influencing_public_policy/Documents/ODSP%20Report%20final.pdf.
4
Income Security Advocacy Centre. Current social assistance rates. 2014. Accessed on September 29, 2014. http://www.incomesecurity.org/resources.html; Canada.
Statistics Canada. Table 202-0808 – Low income measures by income source and household size, 2011 Constant Dollars, Annual (dollars).
CANSIM (database). 2013. Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&id=2020808#F1.
5
Community Living Ontario. ODSP: Did you know? Accessed on September 29, 2014. http://www.communitylivingontario.ca/families-individuals/funding-services/odsp.
6
Frances Lankin and Munir Sheikh. Brighter Prospects: Transforming Social Assistance in Ontario - A Report to the Minister of the Community and Social Services. 2012.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/documents/en/mcss/social/publications/social_assistance_review_final_report.pdf.
7
Ontario Association of Food Banks, Hunger Report November 2013: A Comprehensive Report on Hunger and Food Bank Use in Ontario and Recommendations for Change. Toronto: Ontario Association of Food Banks, 2013.
Accessed on November 18, 2014. http://www.gleanersfoodbank.ca/about/assets/documents/2013%20Hunger%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf.
1
2
“I am on social assistance and can barely make
ends meet, but many people just think I am
trying to work the system.”
Ontario Works (OW) is a social assistance program that provides employment and income support
for individuals who are in financial need. To qualify for OW, applicants must be a resident of Ontario,
in immediate financial need, be willing to participate in employment assistance programs/activities,
and have limited assets. OW assesses personal information such as family size, income, assets,
and housing costs to determine the amount of money the individual will receive. Additionally,
they may receive other benefits, such as medical and dental coverage.1
• The monthly average of OW recipients in Windsor-Essex was 21,775 in 2014.2
• Individuals are required to liquidate their assets; they must have less than $2,500 in liquid assets
(such as savings, investments, house and car) to be eligible for social assistance.3
• An individual on OW lives more than $11,000 below the Low Income Measure annually.4
• Well over 1,000 OW recipients reside outside of Windsor in areas of Essex County that do not have
public transportation. These recipients are able and willing to accept available employment,
but face transportation barriers (i.e., lack of available and reliable transportation).5
OW Benefits per Month: 6
OW Recipient(s)
Benefits
Single
Single Parent + 1 child Single Parent + 2 children Couple Couple + 1 child under 18 $656
$1,050
$1,212
$1,065
$1,227
Current Social Assistance Rate, Income Security Advocacy Center, 2014
Ministry of Community and Social Services. Ontario Works. 2012. Accessed September 21, 2012. http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/odsp/info_sheets/what_odsp.aspx.
City of Windsor, Social Services Department, personal communication, October 14, 2014.
3
Ministry of Community and Social Services. Ontario Works Policy Directives. 2013. Accessed September 29, 2014. http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/directives/directives/OWDirectives/4_2_OW_Directives.aspx.
4
Canada. Statistics Canada. Table 202-0808 – Low income measures by income source and household size, 2011 Constant Dollars, Annual (dollars).
CANSIM (database). (2013). Accessed September 29, 2014. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&id=2020808#F1.
5
The City of Windsor, Employment and Social Services Department, personal communication, February 10, 2014.
6
Income Security Advocacy Centre. Current social assistance rates. 2014. Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.incomesecurity.org/resources.html.
1
2
“I graduated from college and have a job offer
for $11 an hour ($88 per day). The average
childcare cost is $43 per day. There is a wait list
for the childcare subsidy program. What do I do?”
• Approximately 4,000 children in Windsor-Essex who live in poverty today will
not escape the cycle of poverty as adults.1
• Of single parents in the Windsor area, single mothers make up 81%.2
• 41.8% of female-led lone parent families in the Windsor area live in poverty.3
• A single mom is almost 4 times as likely as a 2-parent family to live in poverty in
Windsor-Essex County.4
• At 33.3%, Windsor-Essex has the highest proportion of the low income population living
in very low income neighborhoods.5
• A single mother of two, earning a low wage, will spend between 56% and 76% of her
monthly income on food and shelter alone.6
• Ontario students graduating with debt in 2009 owed an average of $25,778.7
• In 2009, more than 1 in 3 children of single mothers lived in poverty,
compared to 1 in 9 children in two-parent families in Ontario.8
Single
fathers
19%
Breakdown of single parents in the Windsor area by gender
United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. The Cost of Poverty in Windsor-Essex County. Windsor: United Way/Centraide, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. https://www.weareunited.com/servlet/eAndar.WebExtDocument/33383532/3734/2014CostofPovertyReport-Web.pdf.
2
Data Tables produced by the Canadian Council on Social Development (ccsd.ca) Community Analytics Service using data available from its Community Data Program
(communitydata.ca) and provided to Windsor-Essex by Tamarack-An Institute for Community Engagement, Vibrant Communities Canada – Cities Reducing Poverty.
3
United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. The Cost of Poverty in Windsor-Essex County. Windsor: United Way/Centraide, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. https://www.weareunited.com/servlet/eAndar.WebExtDocument/33383532/3734/2014CostofPovertyReport-Web.pdf.
4
United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. The Cost of Poverty in Windsor-Essex County. Windsor: United Way/Centraide, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. https://www.weareunited.com/servlet/eAndar.WebExtDocument/33383532/3734/2014CostofPovertyReport-Web.pdf.
5
United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. The Cost of Poverty in Windsor-Essex County. Windsor: United Way/Centraide, 2014.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. https://www.weareunited.com/servlet/eAndar.WebExtDocument/33383532/3734/2014CostofPovertyReport-Web.pdf. Cost of Poverty
6
Health Canada. Food and nutrition: National nutritional food basket. 2010. Accessed on November 25, 2014. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/surveill/basket-panier/index-eng.php.
7
The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. The Price of Knowledge: Access and Student Finance in Canada - Fourth Edition. 2009.
8
Ontario Common Front. Falling Behind, A Report of the Ontario Common Front. Toronto: Ontario Common Front, 2012.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.weareontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCF-RPT-FallingBehind-20120829.pdf.
1
Single
mothers
81%
“People don’t see how hard I work to keep my
family together. I want my kids to have real
opportunities,but discrimination is a sad reality.”
• Ontario has the largest Indigenous population of all provinces and they are more likely
than non-Indigenous to live in poverty, experience disability and face unemployment.1
• In Windsor, 34% of the Indigenous population was living in poverty in 2006.2
• The average child poverty rate for all Indigenous children is 40%, in contrast to 17% for
non-Indigenous children.3
• In Ontario, the average individual income for the Indigenous population is $21,822 compared
to $33,027 for the non-Indigenous population. That is approximately $11,000 less per year.4
• In 2010, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was 12.6%, far higher than the
non-Indigenous workforce.5
• In Canada, 22% of the Indigenous population 12 and older live in households that experience
food insecurity, in contrast to 7% of the non-Indigenous population.6
Ontario Common Front. Falling Behind, A Report of the Ontario Common Front. Toronto: Ontario Common Front, 2012.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.weareontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCF-RPT-FallingBehind-20120829.pdf.
Dianne Patychuck, Health Equity Council and Health Nexus. Health Equity and Racialized Groups: A Literature Review. (2011).
3
Campaign 2000. 2014 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada. 2014. Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.campaign2000.ca/anniversaryreport/CanadaRC2014EN.pdf.
4
Renfrew County and District Aboriginal Friendship Centre Bonnechere Algonquin Community. A Profile of Aboriginal People in Ontario. (2007).
5
Ontario Common Front. Falling Behind, A Report of the Ontario Common Front. Toronto: Ontario Common Front, 2012.
Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.weareontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCF-RPT-FallingBehind-20120829.pdf.
6
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health survey, 2007-2010.
1
2
“My parents kicked me out. I was staying at
friends’ houses, but that only works so long.
I need to get to the city and find a place to stay.”
• As of January 2015, the youth unemployment rate in the Windsor area was 14%.1
• The city of Windsor is the only location in all of Windsor-Essex with homeless shelters.2
•E
ven though youth who have some post-secondary education have better job
opportunities, research suggests that many of those who graduate end up pursuing
entry level jobs for which they are overqualified.3
• The Windsor Youth Centre serves on average 50 meals per day to youth.4
• In Ontario, 35% of food bank users are under the age of 18.5
Workforce WindsorEssex, personal communication, March 10, 2015.
Homeless Coalition of Windsor-Essex County, personal communication, September 30, 2014.
Ontario Common Front. Falling Behind, A Report of the Ontario Common Front. Toronto: Ontario Common Front, 2012. Accessed on February 24, 2015. http://www.weareontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCF-RPT-FallingBehind-20120829.pdf.
4
The Windsor Youth Centre, personal communication, October 7, 2014.
5
Ontario Association of Food Banks, Hunger Report November 2013: A Comprehensive Report on Hunger and Food Bank Use in Ontario and Recommendations for Change. Toronto: Ontario Association of Food Banks, 2013.
Accessed on November 18, 2014. http://www.gleanersfoodbank.ca/about/assets/documents/2013%20Hunger%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf.
1
2
3
“I don’t want to be homeless, I want to work,
but finding employment with no fixed address
is next to impossible.”
• Homelessness costs the Canadian economy $7 billion annually.1
• The rate of suicide among the homeless population is 40 times higher than the national average.2
• It is estimated 20-35% of homeless individuals suffer from a mental illness.3
• In Windsor, 43.7% of renters pay more than 30% of their income on rent, placing them at
risk of homelessness.4
• In spite of the low housing costs in Windsor-Essex, only 9% of household rental properties
in the city of Windsor are affordable to tenants with low incomes.5
• Emergency shelter use is available in Windsor for up to 14 days. After this time,
those in need can apply for an extension. In 2013, roughly 1,709 individuals used shelters.6
The following chart indicates waiting time for geared to income housing in
Windsor-Essex by type of household.7
Number of active
households available
Length of wait
(years)
Singles 943
1 – 2 years
Families 892
1 – 2 years
Seniors 665
1 – 2 years
Total 2,500
S tephen Gaetz, Jesse Donaldson, Tim Richter, & Tanya Gulliver (2013). The Homeless Hub: The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013. Toronto: Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press.
Accessed on November 24, 2014. http://www.homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/SOHC2103.pdf.
2
Charity Intelligence Canada, Homeless in Canada: A Funder’s Primer in Understanding the Tragedy on Canada’s Streets. King City: Charity Intelligence Canada, 2009.
Accessed on September 21, 2012. http://www.charityintelligence.ca/images/Ci-Homeless-in-Canada.pdf.
3
Rudy Pohl. Homelessness in Canada. Street Level Consulting and Counseling (2001). Accessed September 21, 2012. http://www.streetlevelconsulting.ca/homepage/homelessnessInCanada_Part1.htm
4
Canada. Statistics Canada. National Household Survey (NHS) Profile 2011, Windsor, CMA, Ontario. Catalogue no. 99-004-XWE. (2013).
Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E.
5
United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. Supporting basic needs and independence. Accessed September 21, 2012. www.weareunited.com/basicneeds.
6
Homeless Coalition of Windsor-Essex County, personal communication, October 10, 2014.
7
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association. Waiting List Survey 2014. Toronto: ONPHA, 2014.
1
“We thought we were building our dream home.
Instead we are struggling to hold on to our
house and stay financially afloat.”
• 48% of workers in Ontario said they were most likely to be living paycheque to paycheque.1
• Less than 45% of Canadians have an emergency fund.2
• More than 60% of Canadian employees do not have access to a workplace pension.3
• 3 in 10 (29.5%) Canadian adults were “not very confident” or “not at all confident” that their household
income at thetime of retirement would be enough for them to maintain their desired standard of living.4
• Household indebtedness in Canada has reached a record level of 166% of disposable income.5
• In 2013, 1,322 individuals claimed bankruptcy in Windsor.6
• Each month more than 1 out of 10 individuals turning to food banks in Ontario are doing so
for the first time.7
• The mean debt per Ontario borrower who rents is $36,200.8
• Debtors in Ontario owe, on average, between $124,700 and $157,700.9
Toronto Condo Bubble, Survey of Canadian Employees - Canadian Payroll Association, Blog: September 12, 2013. http://www.torontocondobubble.com/2013/09/48-of-ontarians-live-paycheck-to.html.
CIBC, CIBC Poll: Almost Half of Canadians say their household has no money set aside for emergencies. Media release: August 13, 2012.
3
Canadian Labour Congress, Labour’s Plan for Retirement Security: How It Works for Everyone. Retirement Security for Everyone Pamphlet. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Congress, 2014.
4
Statistics Canada. (2014). Canadian Financial Capability Survey (CFCS). Released November 6, 2014. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/141106/dq141106b-eng.htm.
5
Canadian Labour Congress, Labour’s Plan for Retirement Security: How It Works for Everyone. Retirement Security for Everyone Pamphlet. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Congress, 2014.
6
Bankruptcy Ontario, 2013 Ontario Bankruptcy Statistics. http://www.bankruptcy-ontario.org/bankruptcy-in-ontario/bankruptcy-statistics.
7
Food Banks Canada, Hunger Count 2014. Toronto: Food Banks Canada. 2014.
Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/getmedia/76907192-263c-4022-8561-73a16c06dd2f/HungerCount_2014_EN_HR.pdf.aspx.
8
Raj K. Chawla and Sharanjit Uppal, Statistics Canada. Household Debt in Canada. 2012. Accessed on September 09, 2013. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2012002/article/11636-eng.htm.
9
Raj K. Chawla and Sharanjit Uppal, Statistics Canada. Household Debt in Canada. 2012. Accessed on September 09, 2013. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2012002/article/11636-eng.htm.
1
2
Find out what is being done and what you
can do to reduce poverty in Windsor-Essex.
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