Vancouver City Council |
MOTION ON NOTICE
Submitted by Councillor Woodsworth for consideration at the Regular Council meeting on November 4, 2003
1. Reductions and Cutoffs of Income Assistance Benefits
MOVER: Councillor Woodsworth
SECONDER: Councillor
WHEREAS it is the right and responsibility of City of Vancouver to advocate on behalf of its citizens to other levels of government;
AND WHEREAS unprecedented new provincial laws that limit the time people classified as employable can collect Income Assistance to two of every five years and reduce benefits for families with children by $100 per month come into effect on April 1, 2003;
AND WHEREAS the Province has failed to provide accurate numbers on Vancouver citizens who will be impacted, but it is estimated that it could be in the thousands;
AND WHEREAS the people who will be impacted are among the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, and are already struggling to deal with the impacts of cuts to other federal and provincial programs and services;
AND WHEREAS non-profit housing societies, the owners of Single Room Accommodation hotels and other businesses have expressed serious concern about their ability to do business if many of their tenants lose their ability to pay rent or have it reduced as a result of these new laws;
AND WHEREAS time limits effectively download provincial responsibility for people in need onto the City of Vancouver and other municipalities;
AND WHEREAS time limits for Income Assistance conflict with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms assurance to equality and life, liberty and security of the person, and are inconsistent with provincial and federal obligations to fulfill the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing and shelter as provided in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Canada is a signatory;
AND WHEREAS Vancouver's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stands at 8.4%;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Vancouver urges the provincial government to rescind the laws imposing Income Assistance time limits and reducing benefits;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Vancouver write to other BC municipalities through the UBCM, the LMMA and the GVRD urging them to call on the Province to rescind the changes to Income Assistance laws.
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