Sounding alarm on poverty; 'Crumbling of society' predicted here if action isn't taken to combat problem

Niagara faces a "Dickensian" future of urban decay and social collapse if efforts aren't made to solve a growing poverty problem, says the Region's medical officer of health.

There will be higher crime, skyrocketing health-care costs and "the crumbling of society" if poverty continues to rise, Robin Williams told The Standard's editorial board Thursday.

"We'll reinvent history," she said. "We'll be a Dickensian society where the urban core is poor. There will be crime, the crumbling of society, urban decline."

Williams and Niagara social services commissioner Brian Hutchings met with The Standard to sound the alarm on a dire problem that has so far escaped the public's attention, they said.

Each year, the number of working poor increases, Hutchings said. About 15 per cent of local children now live in poverty.

As more children become trapped in the poverty cycle, more experience health problems such as obesity, asthma and behavioural issues, Williams said. The result will be an incapable future workforce.

Poverty in Niagara

Fourteen per cent of Niagara residents live in poverty.

The median employment income in Niagara is $23,400 - the second lowest in Ontario in 2004.

The most likely to live in poverty are women, single mothers, aboriginal families, new immigrants, victims of violence and the disabled.

Poverty is most prevalent in St. Catharines (15.5 per cent), followed by Port Colborne (14.9), Welland (14.9) and Niagara Falls (14.4). The lowest poverty rate is Niagara-on-the-Lake with 4.2 per cent.

Poverty is associated with panhandlers, but the fastest growing segment of the poor are parents in low-wage jobs, Hutchings said. Of the families in the Niagara workforce, 15 per cent earn less than $20,000 per year.

"We need to focus on this and say, 'Is this acceptable? Is it acceptable that kids are going to school hungry? Is it acceptable that kids are living in poverty and don't have the supports they need to be successful? Is it acceptable that kids are living in these conditions?" he said.

Hutchings has given various presentations on the problem. He will meet with decision makers at local school boards to encourage them to "look at things through a poverty lens." He is preparing a report with recommendations to present to regional council in January.

But a nationwide anti-poverty strategy is most needed, Williams said. Individuals can offer philanthropy and advocacy, "but that's not a systematic solution," she said.

In a 2005 UNICEF report card, Canada ranked 19th of 26 developed nations in combating child poverty. One in six Canadian children lives in poverty, compared to one in 12 in France. The federal government should look to other countries for possible solutions, Williams said.

Niagara has seen some successes, such as an Opportunities Niagara "job bus" that transports people to work, Hutchings said. But more individuals and politicians need to contribute to the solution.

"We're trying to start a momentum," he said.

Mayor Brian McMullan agrees with Williams's assessment. The loss of manufacturing jobs has only worsened the problem, he said.

From improved literacy training to regulations curbing imports, "it's a problem all levels of government should be addressing," McMullan said.

The city's efforts to date, he said, have focused on attracting more jobs.