The Emergency Rental Deposit Loan Program provides an interest-free repayable loan for last month’s rent deposit to households where changes in economic situation necessitate a move to more affordable housing. Coming up with last month’s rent can be a barrier to finding new housing when your income is low. This program will help about 450 households in market housing. As well, homeowners facing foreclosure who meet eligibility criteria and need assistance to move to more affordable rental accommodation can access this program. (People receiving Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Payments are not eligible and should seek assistance from their income support worker.)

Ontario's poverty reduction strategy will represent a total annual
investment of over $1.4 billion at full implementation. The following are key
components of the strategy.

TARGETS AND MEASURES

The strategy sets a target of reducing the number of children living in
poverty by 25 per cent over 5 years - that would translate into 90,000 kids
being lifted out of poverty. Reaching this target will require provincial
investments, federal investments and a growing economy.

The government intends to introduce legislation in spring 2009 that, if
passed, would commit Ontario to annual reporting on key indicators of
opportunity such as income levels, school success, health care and housing.

THE ONTARIO CHILD BENEFIT

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) gives low-income families the financial
support that they need to provide essentials like food and shelter for their
children. The OCB helps build a stronger economy by making it easier for
parents to transition from social assistance to work.

The strategy includes a $230 million annual increase to the Ontario Child
Benefit (OCB) at full implementation. This will provide 1.3 million children
in low-income families with up to $1,310 a year. When fully implemented, the
OCB will represent a total investment of about $1.3 billion per year.

EDUCATION

This plan builds on previous investments made over the past five years in key areas such as education. New investments include:

• $7 million annually to develop a Community Hub Program that will focus on using schools as hubs that respond to community needs related to poverty reduction and student achievement.
• $10 million annually in an After School Program that will support

children in high needs neighbourhoods with new programming focused on physical activity and wellness.

• $6 million annually to triple the number of Parenting and Family
• Literacy Centres to a total of 300 across the province.

STRONGER KIDS, STRONGER COMMUNITIES

This strategy includes a series of new and enhanced initiatives designed to help low-income children and families:

• $12 million more annually for the Youth Opportunities Strategy to give kids in priority neighbourhoods more access to skills training and mentorship programs.
• $19 million more annually in a Crown Wards Success Strategy to support kids as they leave care and make the transition to independence.
• $5 million annually in a new Community Opportunities Fund to give local leaders support to co-ordinate neighbourhood revitalization projects.
• Stabilizing funding to the Provincial Rent Bank Program at $5 million per year to provide temporary financial assistance to people facing possible eviction.
• Introducing legislation that, if passed, would regulate temporary help agencies - and investing an additional $10 million to hire new employment standards officers to make sure that workplaces are safe and employees get the money they earn.

2008 BUDGET DOWN-PAYMENTS

The strategy builds on the down-payments made in the 2008 Budget:

• $45 million annually to provide dental care for low-income Ontarians.
• $9 million annually for a student nutrition program to provide healthy meals and snacks for children in school so they are ready to learn.
• $100 million in one-time funding to assist with repairs to about 4,000 affordable housing units.

EARLY LEARNING

The strategy includes the implementation of full-day learning for 4 and 5
year olds, with part of the initial focus on low-income neighbourhoods.

In addition to improving readiness for success in Grade 1 and beyond,
this initiative will free up important early learning resources to help more
parents access additional quality child care and learning opportunities for
their children.

Dr. Charles Pascal was appointed in November, 2007, to provide advice
about how to begin program implementation. His recommendations are expected in
the spring of 2009.

SMARTER GOVERNMENT

The strategy will look at ways to make sure that the government is
getting the most for every dollar it spends to support low-income families.

The government will undertake a review of social assistance with the goal
of removing barriers and increasing opportunity - with a particular focus on
people trying to move into employment from social assistance. The review will
seek to better align social assistance and other key programs and initiatives
and better communicate program rules to achieve the aims of increasing
opportunity for the individual.

People living in poverty often require multiple forms of government
assistance. The government will undertake to look at programs with a
person-centred approach in order to provide an improved understanding of how
to better align programs so they address the issues of those they are designed
to help. This work will begin in 2009.

The strategy will also establish a Social Policy Institute that will
focus on evidence-based social policy development and the evaluation of social
policy interventions.

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