My name is Robert Lundrigan. I thank you for the invitation to speak on behalf of the Salvation Army in Halifax today.
As you may know, the Salvation Army started in 1865 in east London, when social services were unheard of. Some 144 years later, we serve in 118 countries. In Canada, we're second only to the government in providing social services to Canadians, mainly Canadians who live in poverty, homelessness, and those dealing with addiction.
As you are aware, poverty has been studied for many years in Canada, with efforts being made by many levels of government. The result is that poverty continues to increase in both absolute and relative terms.
Your request was to provide a view on how the federal government can contribute to reducing poverty. Many would claim, and history has shown, that throwing money at something will fix anything, but it simply hasn't worked. We must have one national strategy to reduce poverty: a strategy of prevention.
This issue is probably more challenging for the government today than the introduction of national heath care was some 50 years ago. The lack of a national poverty strategy actually drains more resources from all levels of government. I see in our centre every day the effects of lack of regular and consistent health care or diet for our clients. Besides the person paying with their declining health, the system pays. Often we see preventable trips to the emergency department—preventable $600 ambulance rides day in and day out. When that person, who might have been self-sustaining, becomes a 100% burden on our social safety net, who's paying then?
The federal government must take the proactive role of building the strategy in conjunction with the provinces, territories, and municipal governments. No longer can we afford to have the one level of government throwing up its hands and saying they're waiting on a response or for funding agreements—or those kinds of things. From our perspective, we're continuously waiting on one level or another of government so we can move forward.
Many times over history in our country, the federal government has had to take a lead and implement a strategy to resolve a national problem. I suggest that the time is here. At the top of this strategy must be a provision for affordable housing for all Canadians. Without affordable housing, a person cannot gain their dignity, improve their diet, manage their own health and mental health, get a job, or get up in the morning to get to that job, let alone receive the care they need for things as critical as a heart transplant.
I go back to the summer of 2007 when, along with some other social service agencies, we assisted a family of five with three small children who were living in a tent. It doesn't sound too bad in July, except they had been evicted because all of their funds had been exhausted getting the dad a heart transplant. Weeks after his return from Ottawa with a transplant, they found themselves cooking over an open fire, living in a tent. My comment to myself was that only in Canada can we invest the hundreds of thousands of dollars required for heart transplants, but not the $1,000 a month to provide a home so they can return to a productive lifestyle.
And what about the children's future? What safety net will there be for them, in all likelihood, over the possible next 100 years? We read in the news today that lots of people are reaching the age of 100. We need a national strategy, so all Canadians can have a chance—the same chance, no matter if you live in Canada's richest province or its poorest province, the warmest province or the coldest territory.
I'm unqualified to give you advice on measuring poverty, but at the Salvation Army we measure the increasing numbers of people looking for assistance with food, rent, heat, electricity, addiction recovery, clothing, and for children's needs, such as boots for school or a few days at camp so they can see there's another world besides poverty and being hungry. But at the centre, the hardest part is that we think we're somewhere on a continuum of care for the poor and homeless. Our frustration is that this continuum is full of holes and barricades. There's no plan and there are no measurements, no light at the end of the tunnel, just more tunnel.
You know the saying: you cannot manage what you cannot measure. My history has been in business, except for the last two and a half years with the Salvation Army. I'm very frustrated that there are very few measurement systems we can come up with. You are unfortunately the people who can choose to come up with a national measurement system that is not politically or geographically motivated. It's not one way in one province, and another way in another province.
As for partnering, this national anti-poverty strategy will not be successful without true partnerships with organizations like the Salvation Army, the YMCA, the United Way, and many others across the country. These and other service providers have the most cost-effective way of doing things.
This strategic plan must include regular and consistent increases in resources—not just money—given to service providers. Solving this national poverty problem cannot and must not be left to service providers like the Salvation Army and the YMCA, who have been fighting for resources and funding for programs at every turn. From my personal meetings with providers in this city throughout this past winter, we have all been working with one hand tied behind our backs, having suffered for years from funding cuts and funding freezes. We have gone five or six years without a funding increase. We at the Salvation Army requested support from the province four years ago to operate a men's supported housing program. We have been told, for all this time, there's no money. So how can we possibly extend the continuum of care without a strategic plan that provides regular, consistent funding designed to accomplish something, not just carry the status quo?
It's simply embarrassing when the majority of our own employees are paid incomes below the poverty line. So how long can we continue this, not just the Salvation Army but also other service providers? Or do these individuals become the next victims of Canada's not having a plan to eliminate poverty?
I can only hope and pray, ladies and gentlemen, that you will have the courage and fortitude to force this issue to the forefront as one of the critical changes this country requires.
Thank you.
