It’s time to use your voice and your vote to advocate on behalf of your neighbours in need.
Inflation, the rising costs of living and a lack of adequate government support are leaving our low-income neighbours in poverty. You have the power to advocate for change! In our annual The Face of Hunger in Mississauga impact report, you can learn about the following key issues that affect community members who are living with food insecurity across Mississauga.
Improving Ontario’s Social Assistance Programs
- 30% of food bank users in Mississauga rely on social assistance as their main source of income.
- With a single person receiving a maximum of only $733 through Ontario Works (OW) or $1,169 through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) per month, social assistance rates have not kept up with rising inflation and do not cover the true costs of food, clothing, rent, and other basic necessities
- This is legislated poverty. Contact your Member of Provincial Parliament and ask them to prioritize increasing social assistance rates to the $2,000/month benchmark set by CERB and tying future increases to inflation.
Invest in Affordable Housing
- 3 out of 4 food bank users say affordable housing would most significantly change their quality of life.
- In the last two years, the waitlist for affordable housing in Peel nearly doubled to 28,227 people.
- Use your voice and your vote to tell elected officials to create and repair more social and supportive housing units, and expand protections for low-income renters.>
Build a Strong Workforce
- Workers need access to stable employment that provides a living wage and at least 5 paid sick days, and government assistance programs should not be slashed when folks gain employment in minimum wage jobs.
- Encourage your workplace and local businesses to become certified Living Wage Employers, going beyond the minimum wage.
- This change starts when we demand more for our community from our local government and businesses.
- Learn more at www.ontariolivingwage.ca.
To learn more, read the full Face of Hunger impact report here!
