Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction

Community – Government Collaboration on Policy

Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction

Community – Government Collaboration on Policy

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Poverty in Hamilton • 2001 Hamilton Poverty Matrix: 20% of Hamilton’s

residents are living in poverty. Rates are even higher for children under 14 (24%), seniors age 65 and older (24%), the Aboriginal community (37%), and recent immigrants (50%).

• This is unacceptable. We stand together as a community to find solutions. (Source: Hamilton Poverty Matrix, 2005)

• 2006 Statistics Canada Data – 18.1% of Hamilton’s residents are living in poverty. Children 12 and under 23.4%. This is still unacceptable.

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

The Roundtable • Formed in May 2005 • Co-convened by the City of Hamilton and Hamilton

Community Foundation • Cross-sectoral table with members from business,

government, voluntary sectors and people living in poverty

• Financial Support: City of Hamilton, Hamilton Community Foundation, The. J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, The Charles Johnson Charitable Fund, Corporate Partners including Pictorvision, Dofasco, Turkstra Lumber, Mark’s Work Wearhouse

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Roundtable Cultural Shifts • Shift emphasis from alleviation to prevention• Think comprehensively and tackle root causes

• Work collaboratively across sectors • Abandon blame and acknowledge we are all

part of the problem and part of the solution • Emphasize innovation, risk taking and long-

term change

Community-Level Macro Strategy

Critical Points of Investment Strategy

Community-Lead Initiatives

Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction How We will do Our Work:

Move from Alleviation to Prevention Tackle Root Causes Work collaboratively across sectors Abandon Blame – all can be part of the solution

Emphasize innovation, risk taking, long term change

Knowledge Transfer: Outputs Outcomes Evaluation Learning

Changes in: Structures Processes Policies Indicators

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildQuality Early

Learning and ParentingSkills through education,

Activity and recreationEmployment

Targeted Skills Development (PSE)

Tackling Root Causes: Affordable Housing, Food Security, Income Security, Accessible Transportation, Safe Neighbourhoods

Lin

king

and

F

acilitating

Ro

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Strategic P

overty Focus

Com

munity E

ngagement

Change and A

ctionLearning and A

ccountability

Asset Building Wealth Creation

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Four Roles which Drive the Work of the Roundtable

Strategic Poverty Focus • Develop a shared poverty aspiration and outcomes • Keep the focus on strategic community change

Broad Community Engagement • Engage the community in creating solutions • Ensure civic space for discussion across sectors

Supporting Change and Action • Identify barriers that block progress and provide solutions • Help link organizations to strategies • Leverage resources and attract investment • Provide administrative support to continue moving forward

Learning and Communication • Facilitate the exchange of knowledge • Communicate to the community about poverty and change

strategies • Measure progress and report to the community

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Starting Point Strategy – March 2007 Aspiration: Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a

Child

Three Strategies at the core of the work plan: The Big Picture: The HRPR Macro Strategy focusing on

Policy and Systems Level Changes

Leveling the Playing Field for all Children: Five Critical Points of Investment

Collective Leadership: Local Strategies and Community Solutions - led by community partners

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction

Leadership and Governance

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Roundtable Governance • Roundtable – 42 members, cross sectoral

leadership including 10 low income, citizen leaders • Over 400 individuals and groups engaged in poverty

reduction efforts across he community

Committees and Working Groups • Steering Committee • Youth Voice Against Poverty • Governance Working Group • Policy Working Group • Evaluation and Learning Working Group • Government Engagement Working Group • Neighbourhood Development Strategy Working

Group • Starting Point Partners

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Engaging the Community

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Community Engagement: Key Success Factors • A broad range of people are participating and

engaged • People are thoughtfully trying to solve poverty in

Hamilton • The engagement process creates vision, achieves

results, creates movement and change • Different sectors are involved in the process • There is a focus on collaboration and social

inclusion • The community determines its priorities • There is a balance between engagement processes

and action

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Community Engagement – Results to December 2007

• Hamilton Spectator – 3 year editorial commitment (2006-2008)• 400 articles, editorials and letters to the editor• 5 Hamilton Stories published by the Caledon Institute of Social

Policy • 11 community consultations • 2 community wide events and 84% retention rate • 5 collaborative tables • 91 locally led community solutions • 33,787 individuals connected at presentations, meetings &

events • 300 citizens engaged in neighbourhood planning process

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Policy and Systems Change

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Policy and Systems Change – Approach • Identify core policy areas • Host a Policy Working Group and

Government Engagement Working Group • Develop linkages with Caledon, Vibrant

Communities and other partners • Identify opportunities for policy influence at

the municipal, provincial and federal levels • Identify short and long term strategies • Develop an evaluation approach to policy

work

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Policy Leadership

Policy Working Group • Table of community leaders

and roundtable members with a specific policy focus on poverty reduction

• Meet monthly since June 2007

• Lead on Briefing Notes • Hosted pre-election

meetings with candidates – federal, municipal, provincial

• Individual meetings with 5 area MPs and MPPs and all city council members and senior city staff

• In development – overarching policy paper for Roundtable

Government Engagement Working Group

• Senior staff from all three levels of government – co-chaired by City of Hamilton and MCSS

• Meeting since November 2007 • Currently in learning and

engagement phase – sharing information around table about investments aligned with HRPR Critical Points of Investments

• Creation of synergies across levels of government and opportunities to exchange around priorities

• High level of engagement – continually adding in members

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Early Policy Results - Policy and Briefing Notes • Who Lives in Poverty – September 2005 • Hamilton Poverty Matrix – September 2005 • Shared Governance – Government Learning Circle Article –

March 2006 (Caledon Institute of Social Policy) • HRPR Strategic Overview – June 2007 • Federal Government – 2008 Budget Submission • Ontario Poverty Strategy – September 2007 • Government of Ontario – 2008 Pre-Budget Brief – January 2008• Federal Government – Meeting with Minister Monte Solberg –

Briefing Note – February 2008 • Briefing Note: Statistics Canada – Income Release – May 2008 • Ontario Poverty Strategy – Questions and Answers – May 2008

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Policy Change

Policy Convening and Responses : Hamilton Child Care Wait List Strategy, Immigration Strategy, Ontario Child Benefit, Every Child Plays, Hamilton Partners for Healthy Weights, School Boards – Poverty and Equal Opportunities teams, Affordable Transit Pass Pilot, Ontario Social Assistance Rates Board, Downtown Safety and Security Report, Hamilton Economic Summit, Hamilton Pan Am Games Bid, MetroLinx Transportation Consultation, Living Wage Research

• Policy Change Results: • Return of Municipal Portion of the NCB Claw Back - $2 million

to 6, 413 families • Affordable Transit Pass Program for Low Income Workers -

$500,000 to 1200 employees • City of Hamilton adopts HRPR Aspiration as part of City Vision • City of Hamilton Living Wage Procurement Policy –currently

under development • Alignment with Immigration Strategy Table, Human Services

Planning Table and Jobs Prosperity Collaborative • Increased alignment of City funding around poverty priorities

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Tracking Policy Changes

Collection of Weekly Results Data – What is Changing and HRPR Involvement Examples

• Ontario Poverty Strategy Consultation – Half of the participants in Hamilton were individuals living with low or limited incomes

• Ontario Budget Release – sharing of information regarding Hamilton impact from sources across City – municipal, agency, chamber

• Ontario Social Assistance Rates Board Legislation – economic impact study collaborative convened by HRPR with legal clinics, city staff, SPRC and economist from McMaster University

• Hamilton Economic Summit – representation and leadership from a number of Roundtable and community leaders – prosperity/poverty key part of discussions during the day

• HRPR regularly invited to consultative tables in the community around transportation, recreation, and arts and culture

• Policy Influence – share information and resources with city staff regarding living wage, Ontario Poverty Strategy, housing and homelessness, early years, education

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Ontario Poverty Reduction Plan

• Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction • To develop a focused strategy for reducing poverty,

including associated indicators and targets • Vision – focus on children through expanding

opportunities, real solutions to put people first, we all have a role to play and poverty reduction is the right thing to do for families and economy

• Changes already - Ontario Child Benefit, child care, early learning education, health, skills training, minimum wage increases, affordable housing, social assistance, newcomers

• Currently – launched website, series of invitation consultations focusing on 6 questions, public consultations hosted by local area MPPs

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

The Ontario Context

• Landscape is Crowded: Number of inter-connected poverty advocacy organizations at the provincial level with focus on Ontario Poverty Reduction Plan – Campaign 2000, SPNO, Colour of Poverty, ISAC, ISARC, Vibrant Communities, United Way, OMSSA, PRO

• Local Organizing: ISAC, SPNO and Colour of Poverty received funding for local community organizing

• Existing Community Efforts: VC organized in Hamilton, KW and Niagara with emerging efforts in many other communities

• Voice of low-income individuals not always present • Next 6 Months: Intense efforts as groups position

selves and try to influence Ontario Poverty Reduction Plan

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Moving Forward – HRPR Next Steps

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildHRPR Next Steps – 2008 – 2009

• Continued Progress on Poverty Change Strategies • Focus on Policy and Systems changes at the municipal,

provincial and federal levels including the Ontario Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction, the Affordable Transit Pass, the Ontario Child Benefit, etc.

• Integration of the Neighbourhood Strategy into the work plan including the recruitment of a City-wide committee focusing on neighbourhoods and the development of neighbourhood launch pads

• Continued focus on community engagement with the Roundtable including the support of starting point partners working groups, and community tables

• Completion of the HRPR Evaluation Framework and development of community indicators to report poverty reduction progress

• Continued linkages with Ontario and National partners including Vibrant Communities and Caledon Institute of Social Policy

Making Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a ChildMaking Hamilton the Best Place to Raise a Child

Website Resources

Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction ~ www.hamiltonpoverty.ca

Vibrant Communities ~ www.tamarackcommunity.ca

The Caledon Institute of Social Policy ~ www.caledoninst.org

Government of Ontario – Poverty Reduction Plan ~ www.ontario.ca/growingstronger