Ottawa Platform Launch
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- Published on Tuesday, 15 June 2010 15:09
Today, members of Ottawa ACORN are releasing a 4 point plan to reduce poverty and build an Ottawa we can all be proud of.
The plan has a focus on measures to reduce poverty and break the cycles of community decline that are impacting Ottawa's working family communities. ACORN members from across Ottawa are gathering on the steps of City Hall to release the platform.
A Living Wage for Ottawa
Ottawa should enact the draft poverty reduction plan that was passed by Council in the spring, including the living wage policy. We are calling for a living wage policy at $13.50 per hour that would cover all direct city workers, contractors, and firms receiving economic development money from the city. New Westminster, BC recently passed the first Living Wage policy in Canada - setting an important precedent for this type of policy.
Making Housing Work
Ottawa should lobby the province to include inclusionary housing enabling legislation as a part of the upcoming long term affordable housing strategy. Further, the city should commit to enacting an inclusionary housing policy once the province grants it the powers to do so.
The city should also act on the declining quality of housing in the city by enacting stronger tenant protections, in particular the adoption of a system of landlord licensing that would require landlords to pass routine inspection in order to continue to operate. In cases of extreme neglect by landlords, the city should be able to direct tenant rent into an escrow account that would be used to pay for repairs.
Civic Engagement
The city should publicly commit to honoring section 6.1 of the Ontario municipal elections act that requires there to be polling stations in all residential building containing 100 or more dwellings.
Improving Services
The city should consider the following:
-Partnering with Hydro Ottawa to deploy energy efficiency projects that help low income families reduce their cost of living.
-Partnering with the School board to ensure additional resources are dedicated to high-need school in low income communities.
-Freezing transit fares to the rate of inflation for the next council term.
