Audio: $2750 a month for every adult, guaranteed? Switzerland's considering it.
PRI's The World, (2013).
Here's a deal: Each month the Swiss government will send every adult a check for about 2,500 swiss francs (roughly $2,750) — no matter their need or income.
In response to growing economic inequality, a grassroots movement in Switzerland collected the 100,000 signatures needed to secure a national referendum on their basic income proposal. Swiss law states any petition that receives at least 100,000 signatures will be voted on nationally.
"It is not as kooky as it sounds," says Karl Widerquist, a Georgetown University professor who has researched basic income policy for a decade. "It's the idea of putting a floor under people's income, the idea that income doesn't have to start at zero."
Basic income is a social security system in which the government regularly gives each citizen a sum of money — with no conditions.
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Vancouver Rent bank celebrates first anniversary
Since last October, rent bank has approved 137 interest-free loans
Howell, M. (2013). Vancouver Courier.
At 58, Rene Kwan hoped at this point in his life that he wouldn’t need to seek a loan from the city’s rent bank.
An accountant for 25 years, Kwan was forced to retire because he is losing his vision. His disability and other circumstances have left him living on a Canada pension of $550 per month.
“I worked hard and this is what I ended up with — $550 a month,” he said, noting his rent is $450 per month. “It’s sad.”
Kwan is the youngest of his family, some of whom lived in Canada and others in the Philippines. They’ve all since passed on, leaving Kwan by himself in an apartment at 23rd and Fraser.
He described his situation as being “stuck in the corner.”
Last fall, Kwan was referred to the city’s rent bank after visiting with a seniors advocate downtown. He filled out an application, met the criteria and was given a $500 loan.
It allowed him to avoid eviction. He praised the staff at the rent bank and said the service “saved his life for now.” The arrangement he agreed to with staff was to pay back $20 per month, interest free.
“I know it’s not that much, but it worked out with my problem issue,” he said of the $500 loan. “And the return amount [of $20 per month] is very humane.”
Kwan attended a press conference Tuesday that marked the one-year anniversary of the city’s rent bank. Since October 2012, the rent bank approved 137 interest-free loans, helping 228 people avoid being evicted from their homes. Staff counted 39 children among the recipients.
The total amount of loans was $124,171 and the average loan was $906. So far, 70 per cent of loans are being repaid in monthly instalments, although recipients have a maximum of 24 months to repay. Money is automatically withdrawn from a person’s account.
The reasons recipients have applied for a loan included underemployment, a health crisis, a family crisis, job loss, laid off and delays in receiving Employment Insurance. The majority of loans — 87 per cent — went to single-income households and 43 per cent to people 55 or older.
The highest demand for loans came from residents of the West End, Grandview-Woodlands, downtown, Hastings-Sunrise, Strathcona and Mount Pleasant. The average household income was $18,056.
The rent bank was established to operate for three years. Its loan budget, which is funded by The Radcliffe Foundation, is $365,000 over three years. The City of Vancouver committed to $148,00 over three years for operating costs. The Vancouver Foundation contributed another $90,000 for operating costs. *********************************************************
Description:These two significant reports showcase what we have learned so far about the Housing First approach, one of the recommendations for action featured in Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada. As we continue to provide housing and services for nearly one thousand homeless people living with mental health issues in five cities across Canada, we are gathering significant evidence about what works and what does not.
Through our Interim Report, you will learn more about housing outcomes, service use and costing. You will find evidence for the following main findings:
Through our Early Findings Vol. 3 report, you will learn more about some of the qualitative findings related to how the lives of project participants have changed in key areas such as:
- Housing First improves the lives of those who are homeless and have a mental illness
- Housing First makes better use of public dollars, especially for those who are high service users
- Housing First can be implemented across Canada
- A cross ministry approach that combines health, housing, social services with non profit and private sector partners is required to solve chronic homelessness.
- Solving chronic homelessness can create dramatic improvements for Canadian communities
Through our Early Findings Vol. 3 report, you will learn more about some of the qualitative findings related to how the lives of project participants have changed in key areas such as:
- Social and family relationships
- Control over personal lives
- Disruptions due to illness
- Contributions to community
- Educational opportunities
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Homelessness In Canada Is Shrinking, Candice Bergen, Social Development Minister Says
Canadian Press/HuffPost (2013).
OTTAWA - Cities across the country are seeing their homeless
populations shrink thanks to efforts by the federal government and its
partners to provide permanent housing to those languishing on the
streets, says Canada's social development minister.
Homelessness in Edmonton dropped by 20 per cent between 2008 and 2010 and about 4,000 people in Toronto have moved into permanent housing in the last eight years, Candice Bergen told the National Conference on Homelessness on Tuesday.
"Moving forward, we will be looking for even more ways to support communities in developing local solutions to homelessness and we'll help them capitalize on the effectiveness of Housing First," she said.
Those efforts will involve requiring communities with the worst homelessness problems to invest much of their federal government funding into Housing First.
An estimated 30,000 people are homeless on any given night while as many as 200,000 Canadians a year confront homelessness.
The Conservative government surprised anti-poverty advocates in its March budget by announcing a five-year renewal of funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
The budget cited evidence from a massive Housing First pilot project, run by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, that helped find and pay for homes for mentally ill homeless people in five cities. The pilot also provided recipients with as many social services as they needed to stay housed.
Homelessness in Edmonton dropped by 20 per cent between 2008 and 2010 and about 4,000 people in Toronto have moved into permanent housing in the last eight years, Candice Bergen told the National Conference on Homelessness on Tuesday.
"Moving forward, we will be looking for even more ways to support communities in developing local solutions to homelessness and we'll help them capitalize on the effectiveness of Housing First," she said.
Those efforts will involve requiring communities with the worst homelessness problems to invest much of their federal government funding into Housing First.
An estimated 30,000 people are homeless on any given night while as many as 200,000 Canadians a year confront homelessness.
The Conservative government surprised anti-poverty advocates in its March budget by announcing a five-year renewal of funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
The budget cited evidence from a massive Housing First pilot project, run by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, that helped find and pay for homes for mentally ill homeless people in five cities. The pilot also provided recipients with as many social services as they needed to stay housed.
"The policy shift that the federal government announced in its budget
this year is going to radically overhaul Canada's response to
homelessness," said Tim Richter, head of the Canadian Alliance to End
Homelessness.
"It changes our efforts from simply a response to an emergency situation to one that focuses on permanent housing for chronically homeless people. We've not seen anything like it in the past. It's really going to shape how communities respond to homelessness in the future."
The mental health commission estimates about half of homeless people in Canada have severe mental illnesses. A study in Toronto found that 71 per cent of people in shelters have a mental illness, an addiction or both.
Bergen says she's committed as minister of state for social development to eradicate the problem.
"I'm here today to tell you that my goal is not to be the minister who tries to manage homelessness," she said. "I'm here to be the minister who put us on the track to end homelessness in Canada."
"It changes our efforts from simply a response to an emergency situation to one that focuses on permanent housing for chronically homeless people. We've not seen anything like it in the past. It's really going to shape how communities respond to homelessness in the future."
The mental health commission estimates about half of homeless people in Canada have severe mental illnesses. A study in Toronto found that 71 per cent of people in shelters have a mental illness, an addiction or both.
Bergen says she's committed as minister of state for social development to eradicate the problem.
"I'm here today to tell you that my goal is not to be the minister who tries to manage homelessness," she said. "I'm here to be the minister who put us on the track to end homelessness in Canada."
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