Thank you, Chair. I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak to the members of this committee on behalf of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada. We're a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization representing more than 150,000 Jewish Canadians affiliated through local federations across Canada.
I'd like to quickly highlight six items for your consideration.
The first is security infrastructure. The federal security infrastructure program, or SIP, assists communities at risk of hate-motivated crime to improve their security infrastructure, sending a clear signal that victims need not shoulder the burden alone.
We welcomed the increase in funding for the SIP in the 2017 budget. Increased funding, combined with support for internal security measures and access controls, should make a valuable contribution to the security and well-being of vulnerable groups; however, additional funding is required to further modernize the program and maximize its effectiveness. I'd be happy to provide concrete examples in the Q and A.
The second item I'd like to highlight is affordable housing. We welcomed the commitment to support affordable housing in the 2017 budget; however, the housing needs of Canadians with disabilities are still often overlooked as governments tackle the broader challenges of poverty.
This is particularly acute for Canadians with developmental disabilities. Statistics Canada reports that the employment rate is 49% for Canadians with disabilities and 22.3% for those with developmental disabilities, compared with 79% for the rest of the population. Of adults with developmental disabilities, 90% live in poverty, and 18% to 30% of homeless individuals have a developmental disability.
There's a 40-year wait-list in Ontario right now for affordable housing with supports for those with developmental disabilities. We recommend that the 2018 budget include a set allocation of affordable housing funds for people with disabilities. This should include 5% of total affordable housing spending being directed to specifically support people with developmental disabilities, which will be a game-changer.
The third item I'd like to highlight is palliative care. High-quality palliative care services are currently accessible to fewer than 30% of Canadians. Even where appropriate palliative care policies and procedures are in place, there's often a lack of resources, training, and access that limits the provision of care. We hope the 2018 federal budget will address this shortfall.
The fourth item is charitable giving. Deductions for charitable gifts were previously tied to the lowest and highest personal income tax rates, for donations below and above $200 respectively. We welcome the increase in charitable tax credits for those with income exceeding $200,000 to the level of the new top personal tax rate of 33%; however, we believe the tax credit for charitable gifts should be raised to the new top tax rate, 33%, for all Canadians, regardless of their income, even if this new rate is applied to donations of another benchmark: higher than $200. This would ensure that all Canadians enjoy the same benefits from giving charitably, helping to grow the important charitable sector of Canada's economy and society.
The fifth item I'd like to highlight is combatting hatred. The June 2017 Statistics Canada hate crime report confirmed that Jews remain the most targeted religious minority in Canada. To combat hate targeting a wide array of identifiable groups, the 2018 budget should provide support for the development of dedicated police hate crime units. Additionally, the budget should include funding for a national education campaign for police, prosecutors, and the public about the dangers of hate speech so that it's taken seriously in every instance.
The last item I'd like to raise is green infrastructure for community institutions. The Jewish community, like many other communities across Canada, recognizes the imperative of ensuring a sustainable future. Government can help encourage a significant reduction in our collective ecological footprint by providing support for green communal infrastructure, such as incentives for green renovation or building of community centres and houses of worship. These institutions, often housing charitable organizations of limited means, in many cases lack the financial capacity to choose a more expensive green option. Incentives of this kind would help to tip the scales and encourage a more environmentally conscious approach.
Thank you all for your time. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.