Human Resources committee  I think a big part of it is looking at what's missing, and what's in common. Most communities have wait-lists for housing. You recently launched a national housing strategy, so what will that do at the provincial and local levels to make sure that people have adequate housing? Th

Human Resources committee  We're currently working with the Canada Revenue Agency on tax benefits and making sure that folks are receiving the benefits to which they are entitled. We assume that everyone in Canada is getting all the child benefits, the working income tax benefit, the OAS, for example. We a

Human Resources committee  Initially, I think the provincial government also identified it as a priority, and their call to action was an opportunity for local communities too to mobilize. Once there was this recognition provincially that we needed to tackle this together, it was easier for us to come on b

Human Resources committee  In the plan, we did lay out, over three years, some of the things we want to achieve. What is the contribution we can make? The challenge you're going to face, that we all face, of course, is that poverty requires everyone to participate. How do you account for your contribution

Human Resources committee  Absolutely.

Human Resources committee  Yes. We have several initiatives, such as transportation, for example, which we've subsidized and are helping people with. Yes, it's a success. Are these programs sustainable is the question.

Human Resources committee  Yes.

Human Resources committee  I think a big part of it is the community. The community has said that this is important, and we can't ignore it anymore. All of the players, then, the organizations and the stakeholders that are required to move the needle on it, have to work together. You can't leave the people

Human Resources committee  Thank you for the question. Part of the challenge is that when you design programs nationally, they don't often take into account the local context, so when we suggest the need for federal, provincial, and municipal staff to work more closely together, it's really to address wha

Human Resources committee  The example that we provided in terms of the Region of Peel offering the model employer initiative is an example of success because it provides mostly for women who have been out of the workforce. They have trouble getting that job that pays a living wage. They may be able to get

Human Resources committee  Because part of our work includes the social services programs in Ontario, we see, all the time, the impact that poverty has on women. Really, it's the time off that they have to take when they have children, child care, making a decision between whether they pay for child care a

Human Resources committee  They may be in a new community. How do social services departments like ours help to facilitate that? The example we provided of government providing those initial placements, those entry-level opportunities, particularly for women is a great example of a role we all could play.

Human Resources committee  Now I will focus on three ideas we have that really emerged from our community. The first concerns community benefits agreements. A community benefits agreement provides jobs and other benefits for community residents. It is a signed, legally enforceable agreement, having clear