Talk:Kingston, Ontario Mayor's Task Force On Poverty

Task Force On Poverty: Mayor's Initial Announcement
The following is the full text of Mayor Harvey Rosen's speech announcing the formation of the Mayor's Task Force on Poverty made to Council on March 6, 2007.

"Members of Council will recall that, during the election campaign, I pledged the formation of a task force to address issues related to poverty. The positive response to my proposal — particularly within our social services sector - is an indication, I think, of our collective sense of possibility in better-serving those in need. I'm pleased to announce this evening the formation of the Mayor's Task Force on Poverty.

"In fact, work has been underway on this initiative in my office since the outset of this term of Council. One-on-one conversations with representatives of our social services leadership and front-line staff have framed the terms of reference for the Task Force.

"These same conversations have identified a few stellar individuals — within the community's impressive pool of expertise - whose experience, vision and leadership lends itself to helping us take the first steps in addressing the challenges of poverty. I'd like to take a moment to speak to these challenges.

"As in so many other jurisdictions, poverty in Kingston is a serious issue that is devastating to those caught in its grinding clutches and that jeopardizes quality of life in the community. Our first challenge is to understand the roots of the issue locally.

"Beyond the more obvious social, economic and health factors, we must understand the role our base of correctional facilities and ex-inmate population play in poverty.

"We must understand the full implications of student housing consuming what might otherwise be affordable housing stock in our downtown core — housing in a location that virtually eliminates transportation issues for its residents.

"We must understand the impact of the City drawing from our neighbouring rural municipalities those in need, searching for greater opportunities, services and support in an urban centre.

"Beyond understanding the roots of the issue, we must quantify the problem.

"Our social services leaders tell us that poverty is difficult to define and measure, particularly while maintaining a focus on delivering services to those in need. The challenge is exacerbated by the inclusion of issues related to economic inequality — the relative gap between high-income and low-income residents — within the scope of poverty. Incidentally, it's striking to note that, within our municipality, there is a $100,000 gap in average family income between our highest and lowest incomed neighbourhoods.

"Despite the difficulty of doing so, we must establish working definitions and measures. They are critical to our effective allocation of limited resources. They are critical to making any case for additional resources. They are critical to an outcome-based approach to the problem.

"Currently, in the face of an issue that we have difficulty getting our minds around, a host of agencies, including the City itself, chip away at the monolith. Our service agency leadership tells us that what is missing is a community-wide perspective of who is doing what and an effective mechanism for developing and managing a co-ordinated, community-wide response.

"Absent that perspective and mechanism, our planning and decision-making risk being ad hoc in nature. With the best of intentions, we have collectively constructed the social services maze that was the pre-election 'Poverty Challenge.' We must transform this maze into a humane, coherent, guided path.

"We must also develop a community-wide perspective on social services funding.

"The province and the City currently contribute $107M annually to meet the social services needs of our population — the equivalent of $922 for every man, woman, and child in this community. Additional funding is provided by the federal government, the local funding community through organizations such as the Community Foundation and the United Way, and through the ongoing support of our citizens for dozens of community causes.

"Despite this level of funding, our service agencies operate in an environment marked by growing competition for shrinking dollars, while sounding warnings of demand outstripping capacity.

"We have a fiduciary responsibility to understand fully where these dollars are being spent. We have a moral responsibility to ensure that this spending is resulting in the greatest possible benefit to those most particularly in need.

"Downloading has thrust the City into the role of administrator, arbiter and referee of one-size-fits-all programs unilaterally — if not arbitrarily — rendered by senior levels of government; programs that may or may not appropriately meet the needs of this community.

"A planning / advisory mechanism must be established that ensures the City's administrative decisions are informed by, and supported within, the social services community.

"Further, our ability to lobby senior levels of government for community-tailored programming would be immeasurably enhanced if that same mechanism allowed us to speak with a unified voice from a platform of shared priorities.

"Without question, I've asked the Task Force to address a complex challenge, one for which there will not be a hundred-day solution. To help limit the imposition on their volunteered time, I've asked for two key deliverables.

"The first is the convening of a permanent community planning roundtable that, amongst other functions, can serve in an advisory capacity to Council on issues related to poverty. Perhaps in time, this roundtable will provide advice on social issues in general. Members of the Task Force recognize that this planning and advisory body must represent the voices of all of our constituents and speak authoritatively for our service delivery community.

"I hasten to add that there are several important initiatives already underway in the community that have the potential to play a key role — if not a leading role — in establishing the planning and advisory mechanism that I envision. Community engagement, collaboration, and capacity development will most certainly be at the forefront of Task Force activities.

"Secondly, I have asked the Task Force to deliver a report by mid-August that will support a bid by the City — perhaps in concert with our MUND partners — for the authority to allocate social services funds as we see fit to meet the unique needs of our community. Our social service agencies have long-known that one size doesn't fit all; perhaps together we can get that message through to Queen's Park.

"I have also asked the Task Force to identify in its report opportunities and gaps that may be addressed through additional funding and/or policy changes that may be pursued at the municipal level or though senior levels of government.

"No doubt the task is daunting. For that reason, I'm pleased and grateful to be able announce the appointments of the following individuals to the Mayor's Task Force on Poverty — without exception, all passionate, respected contributors to this community:

• Hersh Sehdev — Ms. Sehdev is the Executive Director of the Kingston Community Health Centres and a long-time advocate for social justice, equity and the removal of barriers for those in poverty. As Members of Council may be aware, the Kingston Community Health Centres encompass the Street Health Centre, Better Beginnings for Kingston Children and the North Kingston Community Health Centre.
• Sandy Singers — Mr. Singers is well-known for a variety of contributions to the community, notably for his tremendous success as Executive Director of the Partners in Mission Food Band. What may not be as well known is that Sandy has chaired the Ontario Association of Food Banks for the last four years and is a Board and Council member of the Canadian Association of Food Banks. In those roles, he is recognized as an effective advocate and lobbyist for a better deal for the less privileged.
• Rose Mercier — As President of the Social Planning Council of Kingston & Area for the past five years, Ms. Mercier has led that organization's evolution to a more inclusive community planning organization, evidenced by the Council's recent Kingston Roundtable on Quality of Life. Rose brings to the team her professional experience as an organizational development consultant, focusing primarily on the not-for-profit sector.
• Bill Crosier — Mr. Crosier makes available to us his remarkable 17-year record of success in youth and affordable housing-related initiatives in Toronto, Coburg, Belleville and here in Kingston. Bill's experience ranges from hands-on program development through not-for-profit executive management and governance. Bill is known in the community for his dedicated work as Program Manager for Home Base Non-Profit Housing.
• Councillor Rob Hutchison — I am pleased to advise Council that Councillor Hutchison has agreed to sit as Council's representative on the Task Force. With his extensive background in not-for-profit housing management in Kingston, I have no doubt that, beyond providing a communication link with Council, Councillor Hutchison will make an invaluable contribution to the Task Force.

"I'll conclude my remarks by commenting that there are those who see in this community a divide between "pro-business" and "pro-social justice" interests. There are those who would suggest this Council reflects that divide.

"To those on both sides of this gap — real or imagined — I say this: the left hand can no more unilaterally resolve our social issues than the right hand can unilaterally dismiss them.

"With our full support, the real possibility of this Task Force — its real opportunity - is to plant the seed of a truly community-wide, community-based social agenda — an integral part of an overall community and economic development framework.

"I ask members of Council to join me in offering thanks and good luck to the members of the Task Force. I'm certain we all eagerly await the outcome of its work.

"Thank you."