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Homelessness News |
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Ottawa and
Ontario
Homeless
and
Homelessness
in the
News: |
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Heavy-handed Police "Abusive" To Homeless, Lawyers Charge -Ottawa Citizen May 10 Newspaper coverage of Homelessness Task Force Meeting |
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First Tickets Issued to B.C. Panhandlers - Vancouver Sun, April 6th 2005
Ten panhandlers have been given warnings and tickets in Vancouver under the new Safe Streets Act, but a police inspector says she's dubious about... |
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Safe Streets Act Panned by Senior Cop - CBC, April 6th 2005
The police inspector responsible for downtown Vancouver is questioning the effectiveness of the province's controversial Safe Streets Act... |
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Ontario Provides $2M To Repair Shelters - CBC, Mar 8 2005
Applies to women's shelters only - eastern Ontario to get $166 thousand |
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Alliance Releases 'Reportcard on Homelessness in Ottawa" - Mar 2 2005
The full 16-page report (as a PDF file) is available from the United Way website.
The Ottawa Citizen also has coverage (for Citizen subscribers only). |
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1% of Ottawa's Population was Homeless Sometime in 2004 - CBC, Mar 4 2005 |
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Province of Ontario Increases Funding for Homelessness & Shelters - Feb 8 2005 |
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Province of Ontario - Backgrounder - Helping the Homeless in Ontario - Feb 8 2005 |
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Province of Ontario - Backgrounder - Homeless Funding by Region - Feb 8 2005 |
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Ontario Superior Court Dismisses Most of the Appeal Against Ontario's
"Safe Streets Act" (only 1 of 13 appellants aquitted) - Jan 14 2005 |
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Excellent article from January/February 2005 "Mother Jones Magazine" on innovative homelessness strategy in Washington D.C. |
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City of Ottawa announces Task Force on Homelessness - December 2004 |
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Dec 15/04 - Ontario Welfare Reform - Among other changes, the "Community Start-up" Benefit cut to once every two years from once every year |
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One of a number of changes announced - some of which may be considered progressive - is a reduction in the "Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit", which is aimed at "making the system more accountable and sustainable".
The "Community Startup Benefit" is a $799 package used to purchase a bed, dishes, and other housing necessities. Although designed to help someone "start -up" independent living, upon moving off the street or out of a shelter, is has been increasingly used as a rent top-up or last month's rent deposit - specifically to reduce the chance of someone losing their home. This reduction in the start-up benefit will likely directly result in more Ontarians on social assistance losing their homes.
Welfare rates were rolled back over 21% in 1995 by the Harris government. In July, the McGuinty government announced a 3% increase, but the software - developed by Arthur Andersen (of the Enron scandal, see Dishonesty, Greed and Hypocrisy in Corporate America) - was unable to handle the math. "$20 Million to fix welfare pay delay: Glitch in welfare computer program has Liberals, Tories playing blame game" (Toronto Star, July 7, 2004) Ontario welfare checks are now scheduled to contain the 3% increase in March of 2005. |
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Centretown News - Profile on the Ticket Defence Program volunteers. Nov 26th, 2004 |
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Since the passage of Ontario's Safe Streets Act there has been an unsuccessful attempt to have the law declared unconsitiutional. That decision is currently being appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeals, and a decision should be announced soon. In the interim, a concerned and dedicated group of volunteers call\ing themselves the Ticket Defence Program, is acting as "agents" for those people charged with panhandling on Ottawa's streets and sidewalks. |
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CBC News - Tent cities and squats in Canada.. Nov 25th 2004 |
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CBC Ottawa - Risk of Homelessness Growing: study. Nov 18th 2004 |
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CBC BC - Study pans the Ontario Safe Streets Act. Oct 7th 2004 |
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CTV News - Protesters demand repealing of panhandling laws. Aug 1st 2004 |
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CBC Ottawa - Homeless Death Toll 17 in Ottawa This Year. June 2nd, 2004 |
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CBC TV Fifth Estate Documentary on Homelessness - Multiple Pages. Mar 10th 2004 |
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CBC Ottawa - Complete Search Results of 'Homelessness' in 'Ottawa News' |
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Even Readers Digest Canada has many articles on 'Homelessness'! |
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Back to the SHORTOttawa Main Page... |
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