4. poverty issues advisory committee – 2005 annual report
and 2006 work plan comitÉ consultatif sur les questions liÉes À la pauvretÉ – rapport
annuel de 2005 et plan de travail 2006 |
That Council:
a. receive the 2005 Annual Report of the
Poverty Issues Advisory Committee, as detailed in Attachment 1; and
b. approve the objectives contained in the 2006 workplan, as detailed in Attachment 2.
RECOMMANDATION
DU COMITÉ
Que le Conseil :
a. reçoive
le Rapport annuel de 2005 du Comité
consultatif sur la pauvreté que décrit à la pièce jointe no 1;
b. approuve les objectifs qui sont
présentés dans le plan de travail 2006, tel que décrit à la pièce jointe no 2.
DOCUMENTATION
1. Chair, Poverty Issues Advisory Committee report dated 8 March 2006 (ACS2006-CCV-POI-0001).
Report to/Rapport au :
Health,
Recreation and Social Services Committee
Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Submitted by/Soumis par:
Chair/présidente
Poverty Issues Advisory Committee/ Comité
consultatif sur les questions liées a la pauvreté
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Brenda
Emond, Advisory Committee Coordinator
City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe
(613) 580-2424 21801, brenda.emond@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
Poverty
issues advisory committee – work
plan 2006 and 2005 annual report |
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OBJET : |
comitÉ consultatif
sur les questions liÉes A la pauvretÉ – plan de travail 2006 et rapport annuel 2005 |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee recommend that the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend Council:
a. receive
the 2005 Annual Report of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee, as detailed in
Attachment 1; and
b. approve the objectives contained in the 2006 workplan, as detailed in Attachment 2.
RECOMMANDATION DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité consultatif sur les questions
liées à la pauvreté recommande que le Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des
services sociaux recommande que le Conseil :
a. reçoive le Rapport annuel de 2005 du Comité
consultatif sur la pauvreté que décrit à la pièce jointe no 1;
b. approuve les objectifs qui sont
présentés dans le plan de travail 2006, tel que décrit à la pièce jointe no 2.
BACKGROUND
City Council, 3 December 2003, reconfirmed its governance structure. This included the advisory committees, and the requirement for each to complete a workplan outlining proposed projects and activities for the upcoming year. The workplan is to identify each and every activity the Committee plans to undertake in the upcoming year, whether they have a budgetary impact or not. The item should be identified, a brief description of the project or activity should be noted, and the anticipated timing of the item should be provided.
The Lead Department Representatives are to provide the Committee with information on the departmental workplan and priorities, where the workplans of the Committees tie into that workplan, and where the Committee can assist the Department. The Lead Department Representative will also advise on what staff and/or financial resources are available as part of departmental priorities.
DISCUSSION
The Terms
of Reference of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee (PIAC) require an annual
report to Council through the Health, Recreation, and Social Services Committee
on its work plan for the following year, outlining its resource requirements
for each portion of its work plan. This
work plan has been prepared with concern for the need to review many aspects of
poverty issues within the new amalgamated City of Ottawa, to ensure the
continued effort to eradicate poverty and the suffering inflicted by being
poor, by all residents of the City, regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation,
education, and ward/location.
At its 22 November 2005 meeting, PIAC approved its 2006 work plan.
CONSULTATION
Community and Protective Services Department
The Community and Protective Services (CPS) Department appreciates the advice received from PIAC in 2005 including, most prominently, the Peoples’ Hearing II report that helped inform the development of the Department’s “How Can We Help?” three year strategic plan approved by Council in 2005 as well as the Basic Needs Strategy and other reports emanating from PIAC throughout the year. The CPS Department supports PIAC’s 2006 workplan and is committed to liaising and collaborating with the Committee to work towards the goals set out in the City’s 20/20 vision and reflected in the City’s Corporate Plan.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Attachment 1 – 2005 Annual Report of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee
Attachment 2 – Proposed 2006 Workplan of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee
Attachment 3 – Poverty Issues Advisory Committee Terms of Reference
DISPOSITION
City Clerks Branch staff will forward the recommendations approved by the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee to City Council for ratification.
Attachment
1
Poverty Issues Advisory Committee
Annual Report 2005
The mandate of PIAC is to provide advice to Ottawa City Council, through the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee, and its Departments, on issues that impact and address poverty in the City.
Object 1 – Public
Education:
We received presentations from various community members and organizations as well as city staff that provided us with information on issues of concern to the low-income community. Some of these issues were taken forward in the form of recommendations to HRSS and Council. Others provided us with the background information necessary for our ongoing work. These included the “Pay the Rent and Feed the Kids” campaign video from SWAN, second-stage housing for victims of family violence, the Consolidated Verification Process, the Community Gardens Network, Dossier Hydro on hydro rates, community houses, homelessness & the Safe Streets Act, city use of closed schools and the adjacent lands for community purposes, and child support. Several presentations were made by city staff regarding the CPS Strategic Framework. A member of PIAC who had travelled to Indonesia and China to work with low income communities there spoke to us of the realities of poverty in those countries.
PIAC was also a participant in Advisory Committees consultation session on the Draft Community Funding Framework (September 26, 2005). PIAC sent a representative member on the City of Ottawa, Community Project Funding Allocation Committee (Spring 2005).
The
Poverty Crisis 2005 – Report on the Peoples’ Hearings 11
A Sub-committee was struck to identify ways to gather information from the community. The committee recommended that a series of People’s Hearings be held, to meet with people in the community and hear their concerns. After discussions with city staff, it was agreed to expand the Hearings to include a consultation on the proposed CPS Strategic Framework. Three public fora were held followed by a series of focus groups. The resulting information was compiled by Social Planning Council researchers and recommendations prepared under the supervision of the People’s Hearings Working Group. The recommendations were presented to PIAC members and CPS staff and were presented to HRSS along with the CPS Strategic Framework in June. The completed report was released in September of 2005. The report was well received by the City and members of the public. It is factual and serves as written proof that a prevention program to address poverty issues must be created.
Liaison with Community/Provincial Groups
to identify issues and work collaboratively:
We examined the list of groups we have worked with to evaluate ongoing relevance/importance as related to priorities, identify other appropriate groups, etc. with which we should collaborate or develop liaisons with. Several PIAC members took the responsibility to represent PIAC at other group meetings and report on their activities. The groups include the Child Poverty Action Group, the Community Budget Group, the 211 Working Group, Dossier Hydro, the Power Group, the Addiction Services Advisory Committee, the Dorothy O’Connell Working Group, the Ottawa Food Security Council, and Ottawa Action on Poverty. These partnerships are monitored on a regular basis.
An example of our liaison with communities is that during the heavy rain/natural disaster in 2004 almost every PIAC member had gone out of his/her way to assist the heavy rain/flood victims in the Ottawa area. In one of our meetings, almost all of us had shared our experiences in helping others through local community network and groups.
We continue to receive information through provincial organizations such as the Ontario Social Safety Net Work, the Income Security Advocacy Centre and the Ontario Coalition for Social Justice. PIAC members attended the Centre for Social Justice Retreat and the OMSSA Annual Conference. This information is scrutinized as to its effect on persons living in poverty.
Our brochure is finalized, met Advisory Committee approval, will be printed, and a distribution mechanism prepared. The brochure will be distributed on an ongoing basis. We have also worked on the selection criteria for PIAC’s membership. There were quite a bit of discussions on the qualifications of the desired members and that every new member must have experience and exposure, etc. in dealing with poverty issues. We continue to respond to information requests from media, members of the public and councillors as they come in.
Objective
2 – Issue-Based Work:
Health &
Support to low-income residents:
A report on dental services for low-income people with recommendations was approved by PIAC and presented to HRSS and Council where it was approved.
Based on the Basic Needs report approved by Council in January 2004, we assessed income support programs to identify gaps in meeting the real costs of living, systematically identified ways to address identified gaps and developed the Basic Needs Strategy, a series of recommendations in specific areas which was approved by HRSS and Council in the spring of 2005.
City Council supported our call for Oral Health Care to be part of the overall health System led to the eventual adoption of the motion by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
On an ongoing basis, we are working collaboratively with local and provincial groups to identify problems and develop solutions for income related issues.
Future
Planning:
On an ongoing basis, we participated in efforts to monitor the implementation of the Official Plan and Services Plans.
Committee
Structure and Process:
On an ongoing basis, we have evaluated and amended, as necessary, PIAC’s sub-committee structure, mandates and tasks; worked jointly with other advisory committees and evaluated the committee recruitment process. We evaluated and amended committee processes, such as agenda, reporting by sub-committees and workgroups, internal relations, connections with community groups, relations with the city and its various components, etc.
Relations
with city and other advisory committees:
On an ongoing basis, we met with senior staff and other city employees to discuss efficient operation of PIAC and other committees and met with other advisory committees to discuss ways to operate more efficiently.
PIAC has participated in all meetings of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Advisory Committees with senior staff as well as numerous consultations held by city staff. We have consulted regularly with other advisory committees as appropriate and have a liaison member from the Health and Social Services Advisory Committee attending our meetings regularly. We also received a presentation from the Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee, which led to a discussion of ways we will work together. The Health and Social Services and the Accessibility Advisory Committees co-hosted a budget-related event with us. We continue to maintain informal working relationships with other advisory committees to share information, identify areas of common interest and avoid duplication of efforts.
Connections
with city departments and agencies:
On an ongoing basis, representatives of city departments and agencies were invited to present to PIAC on the services they provide or could provide to the low-income community and discuss how we can work together.
A member of PIAC sat on the United Way/Centraide Grant Allocation Committee and the city Ottawa Grant Allocation.
Monitoring
city actions:
On an ongoing basis, we monitored city actions and their potential effects on the low-income population. In addition, we monitored the responses to PIAC recommendations to city and, where necessary continue to follow up.
In particular, we did extensive work on the city budget processes for the 2004 and 2005 budgets, both of which took place primarily in 2004. This included studying the many documents, such as the Universal Program Review, Budget Outlooks, Budget Directions, Draft Budgets, “It’s All About Accountability”, Tax Ratio reports and other related background materials. We participated in several community-based initiatives related to the city budget and co-hosted several public fora on budget issues. Members of our budget sub-committee also provided information and acted as resource people to other community groups. We prepared and presented recommendations to several HRSS, CSED and Transportation standing committees and to the committee of the whole.
Presenting Recommendations
We also made presentations at various standing committees on issues that would potentially affect low-income residents. These issues included, among others, service delivery, housing, levels of social assistance rates, dental health, basic needs, recreation services, and transportation. We are currently looking at school fees and the ways they are collected. The effect on the youth is a product of bureaucracy labelling youths that due to different circumstances live in families that are struggling financially. The impact on this “fee collection procedure” adds barriers to the youth’s participation in a healthy school environment. It is a huge problem.
Final
comments:
The Committee continues its efforts to work as
a team in fulfilling its mandate to look at facts and make good and solid
recommendations on issues that impact on people, all generations, living in
poverty. We are looking forward to the
year 2006 and its challenges in representing the voice of poverty and working
on reducing its impact on the life of the City’s citizens.
Attachment 2
Poverty
Issues Advisory Committee
2006
Workplan
The mandate of PIAC is to provide advice to Ottawa City Council, through the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee, and its Departments recommendations on issues that affect on persons living in poverty.
To liaise and collaborate with City of Ottawa departments to work towards meeting the goals that are set up in the 20/20 Vision. Open communication with members of the public to discuss and table poverty related issues that are not in keeping the goals of the city towards the 20/20 vision and keep persons living in poverty as excluded members in the development of this plan. Inform members of the public living in poverty that they have a voice through PIAC.
To liaise with the City of Ottawa, Departments, Community and Provincial Groups, working towards a prevention of poverty plan. Identify issues and work collaboratively in finding solutions to poverty related issues by partnerships with groups and agencies that are already working to reduce poverty in the City. The committee will continue to review the list of groups we have worked with and evaluate ongoing relevance/importance as related to priorities, identify other appropriate groups, etc. The committee will develop partnerships with all of the city’s Health and Community Centers especially in the rural area. Committee members will be appointed by the committee to attend other committees or working groups and they will make regular reports on the activities of the other groups and monitor the value of the partnerships.
Objective 2 – Issue-Based Work:
Our issue-based work is defined by the findings of the Peoples’ Hearings. The sub-committee structure responds to the recommendations and will pursue their implementation. It is expected that each PIAC member participates in a minimum of one sub-committee and that each sub-committee meets a minimum of five times per year and/or as many times as needed to gather information and compile the information from which a recommendation can be made on a specific issue. The sub-committees are expected to prepare a quarterly report
Adequate Income and Support
This is a very necessary and important working group with a proven track record. The number of members for this group will be increased to a minimum of six members. This sub-committee will oversee the implementation of the Basic Needs Strategy. In addition, they will work on school issues, child support and the needs of the working poor. The sub-committee will look at all fees, subsidy structures and access to programs with special focus on families, youth and seniors. This sub-committee will also look at bus fares, Para Transpo and ambulance services. They will also look at levels of service to particular communities of people.
This sub-committee will respond to the concerns of low-income people living in the rural areas of the city, will prepare recommendations to ensure equity of services and appropriate services are provided in areas such as housing, health, access to existing services, fees, transportation etc. This sub-committee will liaise with other Advisory Committees when the item is of interest and share information. This sub-committee will also continue its work on utility issues including the joint committee with Hydro Ottawa, EFA, the Envirocentre and Dossier Hydro. They will investigate similar collaborations with Enbridge Gas and other utility providers.
The sub-committee chair will delegate tasks to its members. It is important that all members collaborate in the sub-committees tasks.
Financial and Budget:
Members of PIAC will monitor the city’s budget processes, work collaboratively with other similarly mandated groups and prepare responses to budget initiatives.
A working group of two members will be assigned the responsibility of monitoring and reporting information to the committee members for all actions and recommendations.
Information and
Communications:
This sub-committee will examine city policies and respond to new initiatives. They will identify ways the City could better communicate information to the low-income community.
They will identify areas where stigma affects people’s ability to acquire information (e.g. mental health). The sub-committee will be responsible to create an information flow between the committee members and the public through the distribution of a Brochure and other information release using a distribution mechanism that will reach members of the public.
The sub-committee members will prepare a plan for promotion of PIAC to the members of the public including media and public speaking. The sub-committee members with the approval of the committee will respond to information requests as they come in and will ensure that the appropriate City Department is aware of the requests. The sub-committee will liaise with other Advisory Committees to share information on specific items when necessary.
Poverty Prevention – HRSS reports follow up and Housing
A member of this sub-committee will be assigned the responsibility to read all HRSS reports. The member will report to the Committee on any item that is of interest to PIAC and/or impact on persons living in poverty. The sub-committee’s working group will focus on communicating with agencies to gather information from members of the public living in poverty on current Housing issues and report the findings to the Committee. The members will be responsible for follow up of issues that were raised in the Poverty Crisis 2005 report and action taken by the City. On housing issues the members will report any movement towards reducing homelessness by Municipal, Provincial, or Federal Government or independent group/agency. The sub-committee members with the approval of the Committee will also search for any information that is necessary to answer any request from the public on housing issues or issues arising from the HRSS reports. The primary Housing concern is to increase the supply of safe affordable housing and the sub-committee will keep the Committee informed of any plans or movement related to meeting this goal.
Objective 3 – Committee Operations:
Committee Structure and
Process:
Ongoing – evaluate and amend, if necessary, PIAC sub-committee’s structure, mandates and tasks; investigate joint sub-committees with other advisory committees; evaluate recruitment process.
Ongoing – evaluate and amend, as necessary, committee processes such as agenda, reporting by sub-committees and working groups, internal relations, connections with community groups, City and its various components, etc.
Relations with city and
other advisory committees:
Ongoing – meet with senior staff and other City employees to discuss efficient operation of PIAC and other committees; meet with other advisory committees to discuss ways to operate more efficiently.
Connections with City departments
and agencies:
Ongoing – invite City departments, agencies, etc. to present to PIAC on the services they provide or could provide to the low-income community and discuss how we can work together.
Cooperate and collaborate with City of Ottawa staff and departments in participating in programs or events that will lead to the goals as set out in the 20/20 vision.
Monitoring city actions:
Ongoing – observe City actions, plans, decisions and their potential effects on the low-income population.
Ongoing –
study responses to PIAC recommendations to City; follow up as necessary.
We will monitor the implementation of the Community and Protective Services Department’s Strategic Framework, particularly in the areas identified in the Poverty Crisis 2005 report.
On a yearly basis, we will request information, which will allow us to monitor the Official Plan and Services Plans.
Attachment 3
POVERTY ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Terms of Reference
The mandate of the Poverty Issues
Advisory Committee is to provide advice to Ottawa City Council, through the
Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee, and its Departments, on
issues that impact and address poverty in the City.
The Poverty Issues Advisory
Committee shall be responsible for:
The Poverty Issues Advisory Committee shall have a
citizen membership of between 9 – 15.
A majority of the membership shall be composed of individuals who
self-identify as being low income currently or within the preceding five
years. The remaining membership may be
composed of those that have a professional or personal knowledge, understanding
and/or experience with the situation.
In addition, there shall be (i) a minimum of one citizen appointment
representing the rural community. It is
preferable that the rural representative meet the
criteria of self-identification as being low-income currently or within the
preceding five years; and (ii) at least two members shall be francophone.
The Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee and Ottawa City Council shall approve all appointments to
the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee.
In addition, the Poverty Issues Advisory
Committee shall have in a resource, liaison and/or advisory capacity, the
following:
·
1
staff representative from the People Services Department (non-voting)
·
A
minimum of 1 member of Ottawa City Council, appointed by Council to act as a
liaison (non-voting)
The process for choosing
membership for the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee will follow the approved
Appointments Policy.
The
People Services Department shall be the lead department for the Poverty Issues
Advisory Committee. The Poverty Issues
Advisory Committee shall report through the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee to City Council.
WORKPLANS AND
ANNUAL REPORTS
The Poverty Issues Advisory Committee must report annually to City Council through the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee (timing to be determined by the Chair, Advisory Committee Coordinator and City Clerk) on the activities of the Committee in the current year and on the Committee’s workplan for the following year.