NEWS RELEASE

STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Poverty in Canada: 38 Years On

OTTAWA , June 26, 2008 – Since the landmark 1970 Croll Report brought the issue of poverty out of the shadows, the Senate has frequently revisited the crushing effects of poverty on Canadians.

Today the Senate Subcommittee on Cities has tabled its report Poverty, Housing, and Homelessness: Issues and Options touching on Canada's largest metropolitan areas, complementing the work done this Parliamentary session by the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry on rural poverty.

“What is clear is that the issues of poverty, housing and homelessness are as pronounced and present today as they were 38 years ago when the Croll Report was tabled,” said committee chair Senator Art Eggleton. “If anything, the problems have only become more complex.”

“Four out of five Canadians now live in urban centres,” said Senator Wilbert J. Keon, the committee’s acting deputy-chair. “And in a majority of these urban centres those living in poverty exceed the national average.”

The Committee’s mandate, as set forth in its Order of Reference, is to “examine and report on current social issues pertaining to Canada's largest cities.”

In order to fulfill its mandate, the Committee adopted a work plan that divided its review into five major categories, or “building blocks.” The first building block consists of an examination of the capacity of Canada’s major cities to cope with significant social challenges at a time when many responsibilities are being transferred to municipalities from senior levels of government.

The Issues and Options paper provides the basis for public consultation going forward.

"Witnesses have provided intriguing options to deal with the issues of poverty, housing and homelessness including national strategies," said Senator Eggleton. "They are calling for federal leadership on these national problems."

The committee will now seek the input of Canadians over the coming months before issuing a final report with recommendations to the federal government.

To consult the committee’s report, please visit: http://www.senate-senat.ca/social.asp.

Members of the Senate Subcommittee on Cities include senators Andrée Champagne, P.C.,  - C - (Grandville - Quebec), Jane Cordy  - Lib. - (Nova Scotia), Art Eggleton, P.C.,  - Lib. - (Ontario), Wilbert J. Keon - C - (Ottawa - Ontario), Jim Munson  - Lib. - (Ottawa / Rideau Canal - Ontario),
and Marilyn Trenholme Counsell  - Lib. - (New Brunswick) .

To consult the committee’s report, please visit: http://www.senate-senat.ca/social.asp.

For more information, please contact: