Last week we held our second community conversation on the Living Wage at the Ontario Early Years Centre in Stone Road Mall. The conversation examined housing-related costs within the living wage calculation and the very real impact these costs have on peoples’ lives (individuals and families living on a low-income). Highlighting the lack of affordable housing in Guelph and Wellington, the conversation explored barriers that prevent active participation of all people in our community.
A crowd of about 50 people were there to join in on the conversation, ranging from developers, housing advocates, low-wage earners, and small business owners interested in hearing more about how to support a Living Wage policy. We were pleased to see such a diverse group of people come out to discuss how to change policy and to advocate for improved access to affordable housing for low-income people. Our goal with these community conversations is to get people talking about what it takes for people to live reasonably in our community and to focus on each of the major cost drivers involved with calculating the Living Wage for our area.
A growing body of research evidence makes the case that our refusal to lift workers out of poverty is costing us far more in increased health, social services, child welfare and policing costs than it would cost to eliminate poverty. Advance Your Voice speaker, Leanne Taylor, made an impassioned speech about the struggles she faced finding appropriate and affordable housing while dealing with her addiction. The lack of affordable housing in Guelph hindered Taylor’s ability to reunite with her children once she had overcome her drug habit. “Through all this, my goal was to get my kids back… How do you tell your kids that they can’t live with you because you can’t afford a place with enough bedrooms?”, says Taylor.
An effective strategy to eliminate poverty would include a plan to increase affordable rental housing development in our community. Jane Londerville, Associate Professor of Real Estate at the University of Guelph, highlighted some of the barriers faced by developers in creating affordable housing rental units. Her presentation included a list of recommendations for making the development of affordable rental housing a viable option for developers. This list included “allowing developers to build more densely, to lower or forgive development fees, to lower the parking requirements, and commit to faster approvals. This is what it will take, among other incentives and grants, to get developers on board to create rental housing”, says Londerville.
The Wellington-Guelph Housing Committee brought to light the need for renewed advocacy around the Ontario Housing Benefit (OHB), particularly in light of a potential spring election. This benefit would be paid directly to individuals and families in order to help close the gap between their household income and rent. With 25% of households in Guelph paying 30% or more of their income towards shelter costs, this is clearly an area of advocacy that would have a big impact. Marion Steele, a member of the University of Guelph Real Estate group, says “The Ontario Housing Benefit would help put food on the table for low-income individuals”.
In addition to paying a living wage, the conversation turned to other ways employers can ensure their employees have what they need to live adequately. When an employer pays for annual benefits, for example, the non-OHIP portion of the Living Wage calculation decreases and the new rate goes from $15.95 to $14.85. “This discussion isn’t about having a hard-and-fast number to cling to that will eliminate poverty in our community. We want to get people thinking about other ways they can contribute to the creation of a fair and just society. If employers offer parents the option to work flexible hours, for instance, they could arrange to work earlier or later to avoid paying for before- or after-school care for their children. These types of solutions don’t necessarily cost employers money, but they do increase the likelihood that workers will see improvements in their take-home pay. This is the kind of discussion people need to be having”, said Sarah Haanstra, co-chair of the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination.
Our series of Community Conversations on the Living Wage will continue in June with a discussion on child care as a major expenditure for families. We will discuss how that cost affects the Living Wage calculation and what policy alternatives could be promoted to make child care more affordable. Stay tuned for more information.
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