Thank You
Thank you for your support of Make it Livable!
For the past six weeks, supporters of United Way Elgin Middlesex have been advocating that the provincial government
- Double Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates to bring people’s income above the official poverty line; and
- Index both ODSP and OW rates to inflation.
You have endorsed this initiative because you recognize the toll that current rates take on our most vulnerable citizens: families with kids, individuals in crisis and people with disabilities.
Starting the Conversation
Kelly Ziegner, CEO and President of United Way Elgin Middlesex, reached out to invite the community to join the conversation at our Town Hall event to raise awareness and discuss what it looks like for people who are on Ontario Disability and Ontario Works.
On January 15th, 2024, United Way Elgin Middlesex launched a public conversation on the facts about social assistance rates in our Province, with a Town Hall event that included local and national experts. Participants engaged in a dialogue about what it would look like if people receiving Ontario Disability and Ontario Works supports were to receive a livable, dignified level of income. The event concluded with a call to action to endorse our recommendations. The event was filmed by RogersTV and you can watch it here.
In addition to RogersTV, our campaign caught the eye of local news through The London Free Press, CTV News, and other outlets in neighbouring communities.
Our Official Ask and Support
On January 30th, 2024 we submitted to the Provincial government our budget recommendations to double the rates of Ontario Disability and Ontario Works and to index both rates to inflation. You can read our official recommendation to the Province here.
From the launch of the Town Hall until February 20th, we collected endorsements from our community and were blown away by the results. We have submitted your endorsement, along with support from more than 1,300 others, to the Ontario government as it deliberates the 2024 provincial budget.
We’re also pleased to share that over 80 individuals and organizations have sent individual letters of Make it Livable support to the Premier and their Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs).
Thank you for your advocacy with us and with people living on the margins. We expect the provincial budget to be announced late next month. Stay tuned for updates.
Next Steps
We are not done. Buoyed by the support of thousands of people in this region and beyond it, we intend to continue the conversation with local MPPs. We’ll continue to advocate for policies, programs and partnerships at all levels of government, and in the broader community, that can make this a place where everyone belongs.
You too have a role to play in keeping the conversation going. In particular, we invite you to seek out opportunities to engage and mobilize action. We’d like to think United Way is a good place to start and to continue, and we also know there are a lot of opportunities locally where you can make a difference.
Use the form below to find out who your local MPP is and send them a letter, using your voice, to let them know the change you want to see.
Continued Reading
If you would like to continue reading beyond our website, below are the resources we accessed for our Make it Livable movement:
The perverse logic of social assistance - Opinion by Alan Broadbent & Elizabeth McIsaac
Maytree: Poverty, Rights, Change