Ontario Budget Takes Steps to Reduce Poverty

Yesterday afternoon, the Ontario government unveiled its 2009 budget. This budget has been anticipated by many for its inclusion of funding commitments to poverty reduction measures that were outlined in November’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction – the organization that spearheaded the campaign for a provincial poverty reduction strategy – made specific budget recommendations to the provincial government on poverty reduction.

These recommendations included increasing the Ontario Child Benefit, investing in affordable housing and early childhood education and care, increasing social assistance levels, and strengthening labour standards, among others.

As I noted in my blog earlier this week, the government announced ahead of the budget that it would raise the Ontario Child Benefit and match federal investments in affordable housing, both of which will help thousands of low-income Ontarians. While these changes are significant, there remains much to be done in the fight against poverty.

According to the 25 in 5 Network, the budget “fell short on social assistance, missed the mark entirely on early learning and child care, and went halfway on labour standards” in comparison to what the Network recommended.

The Wellesley Institute also noted that while the new investments in affordable housing are laudable, they still fall short of Alberta’s recently announced provincial housing and homelessness strategy.

While the Ontario budget has delivered on some of its promises to reduce poverty, many crucial changes remain – including investments in childcare and social assistance – if poverty is to be substantially reduced in the province.