Goal: Everyone in Peterborough will have enough income to meet basic needs, achieve health and reach their full potential.

How:

Empower & Address Needs:

• Advocate for increases to Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) income support rates
• Work towards a living minimum wage; make Peterborough a living wage community.
• Develop innovative and flexible opportunities to earn more income.
• Ensure adequate funding for housing stability and ‘necessary’ benefits; health, employment and children’s recreation.
• Advocate for provincial pharmaceutical, vision and dental care for all people with low incomes

Build Capacity:

• Enable more people with lived experience to have a voice and con- tribute.
• Provide public education and information on income security needs and solutions.
• Improve opportunities for all people living with low incomes to save for their futures.
• Improve participation in the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB).

Collaborate:

• Contribute to local, provincial and federal initiatives to improve income security: Basic Income Guarantee (BIG), ODSP Action Coalition, Put Food in the Budget, Workers Action Centre.

Create Change:

• Work towards a Basic Income Guarantee.
• Contribute to effective social assistance reform.
• Increase community participation in the municipal budget process.

Facts: Over 19% of children in the Greater Peter- borough live in poverty – nearly 1 in 5. Nearly 50% of our communities population is in the Lower Half of the National income Distribution. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, our community`s median income is $28,992. ODSP caseloads in Peterborough have in- creased by 4.9% since 2012-2013. The income for a single person on Ontario Works falls $11,000 below the LICO; for a single person on ODSP it falls $8,000 below.

Partners: Community Volunteers,  Peterborough County-City Health Unit, Peterborough Community Legal Centre,  Housing Resource Centre,  Peterborough Health Coalition,  Peterborough Social Planning Council,  Peterborough Social Services,  Peterborough LETS