Implementing Austerity By Downloading Responsibility
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 21 July 2016 22:00
- Written by editor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1284 .... July 22, 2016
__________________________________________________
Implementing Austerity By Downloading Responsibility:
Ontario's Attack On Social Assistance
AJ Withers and Yogi Acharya
Laura Bardeau had bedbugs and lost all of her furniture. A single mother with two children, trying to survive on social assistance, she applied for emergency housing support from the City of Toronto's Housing Stabilization Fund (HSF). In doing so Laura was one of over 30,000 people annually who try to access this fund. As per her eligibility, Laura requested the maximum $1500 the City allots for replacing necessary furniture. That was in April. Much to her surprise, she was denied; not once, but twice. The City told her she made too much money and should have the resources to pay for furniture herself.
Laura's sole source of income... comes from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Child Tax Benefits. Since Laura and her kids have health conditions requiring a special diet, they are provided some additional money per month for food. Much like all households on social assistance, they are forced to live well below the poverty line.
After a two month-long fight with the City that included a public call/write campaign and a mass delegation to City Hall, we at the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) were able to win the Bardeau's $1100 in June. However this was still $400 short of what Laura was eligible for. The fight continued and this past week we were successful in forcing the City to relent and grant Laura the full $1500. Additionally we forced the City to turn over its secret HSF adjudication policy. Up until now, people who apply for the HSF were given vague denials and because they didn't know how the HSF was adjudicated, were unable to properly appeal the decisions.