www.waterlooregion.org / poverty / talk
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www.waterlooregion.org / poverty / talk
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Poverty Fact Sheet #1Produced by The Urban Poverty Consortium of Waterloo Region September 13, 2000
What is 'Poverty'?
Depth of Poverty A single person, working 35 hours per week at $6.85 per hour (Ontario minimum wage) would earn a gross monthly income of $1038.12. Compare this to a LICO of $1,244.00. This is a $206.00 difference. A single person, eligible for the maximum payable benefit under Ontario Works would receive $520.00 per month. Compare this to a LICO of $1,244.00. This is a $724.00 difference.
Is Poverty a Problem? Some factors that contribute to poverty include:
The Poverty Gap
Table 2 provides national and local data on average earnings and government transfers for families and individuals, living above and below the LICO. As is shown by the data, the total average earnings for all families in Waterloo Region ($55,301) as compared to Canada ($50,339) is about 10% greater. However, this seemingly greater local prosperity is not shared by all. Compare the average earnings for poor families for Canada ($9,330) to that of poor families in Waterloo Region ($7,795). In other words, while our average family earnings are greater than the national average, earnings for our families living in poverty are lower - thus a greater gap.
Rural and Urban Poverty A total of 3,800 people live in poverty in the four townships - a rate of 8.06%.[3] Some characteristics of rural communities include:
These factors can create difficulties for people living on a limited income in a rural area.
Our Stories "My story goes back about 6 years to a very difficult time. I was married, working at a great job, owned a nice house and had a beautiful daughter. Within a year of this reality came a much harsher one. My health was poor and I had to take a leave from my job and go into the hospital for an extended stay. The first week of my hospitalization, my husband called to tell me that I had to get a lawyer because he had sold the house and wanted to separate. He had already moved things out of the house and into other places. He threatened to take my child away from me because I was in hospital and unable to care for her there. He told me if I didn't sign the papers he gave me, then he wouldn't let me see her. As a result, I signed agreements (while still in the hospital) that I otherwise wouldn't have and I found myself without a home or a family as I had known it. I had no family of my own in the area and no place to go. "I was terrified that I might lose my job, my daughter and my life. If it wouldn't have been for my wonderful friends, I'm not sure how things would have gone. But, one of them offered to let my daughter and I stay with her. My parents came and helped to buy things, take care of my daughter and settle us in. We lived there for several months, until I could deal with lawyers and begin to get back on my feet. "It was one of the most difficult times in my life and I don't know how I could have coped without the love and support of my friends and my family. It brought me to a place of greater understanding and taught me how quickly the tides can shift. I have tremendous empathy for people who find themselves in such circumstances and don't have a strong support system. I found out that it's a pretty short walk to the street!!"[4] "In my case, you know, my other life, as I refer to it, is really not too far away and so it still hurts. You know, it's not too, too many years since I had another life. So I am fairly well dressed. I drive a good car, with air conditioning, no less, but right now I am poor. I am one of the so-called new poor, who at one time enjoyed all the trappings of being in the upper middle class. I used to live in a nice neighbourhood. In fact, I lived there for close to twenty years. I've held very good jobs. I was a town councillor. I was involved in everything going. I was really a leader, and I had a high profile in my community. "Now, unfortunately, that's all gone. I have been unemployed for two years. Right now, I have no house, not even an apartment. I have been forced to go back and live with relatives. I still have good clothes, thank God, hanging in my closet, a fairly good car to drive and I try as much as possible to move in the same circles I did before. "Very few women who separate or divorce and remain single, can maintain the same lifestyle as before. Automatically, when I separated, I was pushed down into a lower socio-economic level. So in the late eighties, I chose to separate after 22 years of marriage. It was a decision that should have been made earlier, but my religious and moral upbringing prevented me from doing so. Eventually, my safety and mental health outweighed the financial security, so I separated. And actually it was the best decision for all of us concerned. I have never looked back. Now, I am much, much happier, but poor. "So in the eighties there were jobs to be had. I had a number of contract positions and I could fall back on supply teaching. But that is not the situation anymore. When I moved back here last year, the first thing I did was walk into the school board offices. The supply list has been frozen since, I believe, 1991. I couldn't even supply. It wasn't even available anymore."[5] References
Poverty Fact Sheet Series
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