[Canada] Poverty Myths

from The Hamilton Spectator

Tomorrow, the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction reveals its community plan after a year of study and discussion.

In preparation, The Spectator is presenting a daily exploration of poverty in Hamilton and commonly held beliefs about its causes and consequences.

MYTH FIVE:

"POOR PEOPLE JUST NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BUDGET"

Well, actually, many start the month in the hole. In 2004, the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton compared top welfare benefits to average local costs of food and shelter.

They called the extra money -- which has to cover heat, hydro, phone, clothes, laundry, toiletries, cleaning supplies, school supplies and tuition, and anything unexpected -- the "remainder."

For a single man age 25 to 49, the remainder is less than nothing: it's negative $146 a month. For a single mom with one child, $157 a month. For a two-parent family with two kids, it's $66.

And Paul Johnson, project director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, says many of the poorest Hamiltonians are learning to budget.

They do so in community kitchens, in nutrition classes, at social agencies, at early-years centres and more. Mentors are also teaching immigrants about Canadian life: for example, that a grocery store is a better place to buy groceries than a corner store.

And, at the extreme end of the poverty spectrum, hundreds of Hamiltonians in extreme need have their welfare cheques managed by trustees at places like Wesley Urban Ministries. Their rent and bills are paid first, and they can be given an allowance, perhaps daily.

"Circumstances could be fine for many people as long as life doesn't have any blips," said Johnson noting pay-day loans and credit cards can get low-income people into a debt spiral.

MYTH SIX:

"THE POOR ARE POOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE TOO MANY CHILDREN"

This is an old saw, one you can find in the portrayal of the ever-growing, impoverished Catholic family in the film, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Or, you know, the one about single moms having kids to boost their monthly cheques?

But it falters with scrutiny.

According to 2001 Census data, nearly three-quarters of all single-parent low-income households have just one or two kids. And low-income couples look pretty average when you add up their kids: 64 per cent have one or two kids, just 4 per cent below the city-wide rate.

However, Hamilton is seeing the arrival of large immigrant and refugee families. Still, less than 10 per cent of poor local families have five or more kids. This is just 1.5 per cent higher than the city-wide rate for families that size.