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The 10% of the population who experience poor living conditions include many who are working one or more jobs.  An estimated 17,000 adults in the Waterloo Region are considered to be the ‘working poor’.  This means individuals and families are living in poverty even though they are working full time, part time and/or holding more than one job.

 

A full-time job, but not making ends meet?

 

An indicator of this growing problem is the increasing demand for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region's services.  It reported that individuals earning income (part-time, full-time, employment insurance) represented 29% of the emergency food assistance usage (a 3% increase from 2003, a 6% increase from 2002).  In addition to this, currently almost one in five children in the Region lives in poverty and 4,000 families are on a waiting list for affordable housing. 

The Stats Can Low Income Cut-off (LICO) for a single person in the Region of Waterloo is $17,895 before taxes, yet a person working at minimum wage ($8.75/hour) for 40 hours per week for 52 weeks, a mere $18,200 a year. Moreover, there are many more individuals and families who are poor, but do not fall under the LICO. Opportunities Waterloo Region has drafted an URBAN SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD BUDGET where it estimates that a sustainable income starts at $13.62, which is $28,333.33 per year (or $20,711.58 after taxes). The following budget reflects very modest living expenses for a single individual living in Waterloo Region:

 

Sustainable Livelihood Wage for a Single Person in Waterloo Region    

 

Wage Comparison for a Single Person in Waterloo Region	Gross Pay	40 hrs per week	Net Pay	40 hrs per week
	Annual	Per Hour	Annual	Per Hour
Minimum Wage March 31, 2009	$19,760.00	$9.50	$14,454.00	$6.95
2006 Poverty Line (LICO)	$18,260.00	$8.78	$14,859.00	$7.14
Sustainable Livelihood Wage (Urban)	$28,333.33	$13.62	$20,711.58	$9.96

 

Urban Sustainable Livelihood Budget 2007    

 

Budget Item	Monthly ($)	Annually ($)
Housing	$ 688.00	$ 8,256.00
Utilities	$ 262.71	$ 3,152.52
Laundry	$ 32.50	$ 390.00
Food	$ 200.11	$ 2,401.26
Transportation	$ 58.00	$ 696.00
Clothing	$ 43.77	$ 525.28
Personal Care	$ 38.72	$ 464.61
Health Care	$ 5.35	$ 64.19
Household Supplies	$ 27.15	$ 325.80
Household Furnishings	$ 37.18	$ 446.13
Communication	$ 96.54	$ 1,158.48
Recreation/Leisure	$ 48.79	$ 585.51
Banking/Risk Management	$ 69.95	$ 839.40
Insurance	$ 117.20	$ 1406.40
TOTAL EXPENSES	$ 1,725.97	$ 20,711.58

For details of the Urban Sustainable Livelihood Budget 2007, please click here.

For explanations of the Urban Sustainable Livelihood Budget 2007, please click here.

                                         

A working person earning minimum wage often has to go without many of these necessities.  Most working poor have learned to live with less. 

For more information please examine the following documents:

• Living Wage newsletter
  
• Human Resources newsletter
  
• Regional Municipality Living Wage report
  
• Summary of Regional Living Wage work plan
  
• Literature Review
  
• March 24 2009 Community Conversation slideshow
  
• Article from the Record
  

 

Opportunities Waterloo Region is working to find innovative, sustainable solutions to this problem!

 

Work is not enough to gain a sustainable livelihood in Waterloo Region. Therefore, the LRT has chosen the Working Poor as a strategic focus area for Opportunities Waterloo Region. 

 

Here are the steps that have been taken thus far:

 

2001 – 2002 – The Leadership Roundtable made a decision to focus on 4 different poverty reduction and prevention areas, one of them the Working Poor.

 

2002 – 2003 – Opportunities’ staff extensively researched this issue.

 

February 2003 -  First multi-sector community meeting, attended by 29 people, including Ken Seiling and Mike Schuster from Region of Waterloo, Carl Zehr from City of Kitchener, and also representatives from the Cambridge and Kitchener Waterloo Social Planning Councils, House of Friendship, as well as the business, education and public health sectors.

 

February 2003 -  A draft report was completed on “A living Wage for Waterloo Region”.  More meetings took place between February and May 2003.  A Power Point Presentation was developed, as well as we put in place a marketing and promotions plan. 

 

May 2003 – A Community Conversations Series event focused on the Living Wage / Working Poor in Waterloo Region.  Speakers included Ron Saunders (CPRN) and a representative from Kuntz Electroplating.

 

October 2003 – Working People’s Coalition was formed and met to further develop this initiative.

 

2004 – Opportunities faced a re-organization period, creating a pause in this initiative.

 

August, 2005 – John Anderson from the Canadian Council on Social Development spoke to the Leadership Roundtable about what is happening in Canada regarding the living wage.

 

November, 2005 - The Leadership Roundtable once again met to review the status of this initiative.

 

– Opportunities’ Community Conversation Series hosts an event in partnership with the Law Commission of Canada providing a community forum on law reform for vulnerable workers. 

 

Next steps – are on the way!