OAFB calling for further investments in adult benefits, skills training, non-profit supports, and worker protections in midst of economic downturn

TORONTO - The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) seeks further investments to fight poverty and recession from the provincial government in tomorrow's budget. The provincial government recently announced significant investments including accelerated increases to the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) and support for the repair and construction of affordable housing.

"The provincial government has taken the right first steps by making investments in child benefits and the construction and repair of public housing," said Adam Spence, Executive Director of the OAFB. "They have recognized that fighting poverty gives us the best bang for our buck in tough economic times, but they cannot stop there."

Beyond this recent announcement, OAFB will be looking for investments consistent with the organization's proposals including:

- loosening restrictions on social assistance such as raising asset limits for recipients;

- increasing the maximum Ontario Works (OW) and ODSP allowance by three per cent;

- supporting new, targeted skills training, early learning and child care programs;

- creating a new Ontario Crop and Livestock Donation Tax Credit;

- providing support for a feasibility study and pilot for a social investment exchange;

- following through on a commitment to increase funding for the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2009-10; and

- hiring new employment standards officers for proactive enforcement.

A recent study released by the OAFB reported that without government action, poverty will rise dramatically. Ontario's after tax poverty rate could grow from 10.3 per cent in 2006 to 13.6 per cent in 2010 - plunging an additional 474,368 Ontarians below the poverty line during the recession.

"The province must continue to make investments in poverty reduction in the upcoming budget," said Judy Dancause, Executive Director of the Agape Centre in Cornwall and Chair of the OAFB. "These investments will stimulate the economy, protect Ontarians from the worst of the recession, and lift more households out of poverty to ensure a strong economic recovery over the long term."