I have to admit that sometimes there are moments as a city councillor when the expectations on municipal budgets are daunting. This week at City Council’s Community Services Committee we had a Poverty Reduction Strategy Report before us that is going the right direction, but the message from those working with those experiencing poverty is that we need help now.
Municipalities are the managers of city infrastructure and services, but due to a lack of assistance from the federal and provincial governments to pull people out of poverty, our city is being asked to stretch our services to include food security. As a city, we recognize food security as a pillar in the Poverty Reduction Strategy but plans for the future are not feeding bellies in real time. We heard from residents who are left budgeting their purchase of food against rent increases and other necessities. Food banks are overwhelmed and are having to cut back on the amounts they can give out. We are all aware of the increasing cost of food but for some it means not eating in order to send kids to school with something to eat. It is heartbreaking to listen to the stories of what is happening in our own city. Most of this work is operated by charities, such as the Food Bank, but many of our Ottawa Community Housing buildings have been converted to food pantries instead of being used for their wrap around services and programming, due to the overwhelming need in the surrounding community.
In the meantime, we are hearing from the provincial government that they will spend your tax dollars to tear up our existing city transportation infrastructure and build multi-billion dollar tunnels in Toronto. It’s been a frustrating week to hear the contrast of desperate needs of hunger within our own Bay Ward communities and city wide that continue to be ignored while at the same time see the province focus on interfering with municipally funded projects.