Ontario poverty strategy failed – urgent reset needed

Poverty in Ontario is rising faster than in the rest of Canada. A new report from Maytree finds that 1.7 million Ontarians are living in poverty, despite the province’s legislated Poverty Reduction Strategy.

The policy brief, Poverty rising: How Ontario’s strategy failed and what must come next, shows the current strategy lacked clear targets, focused too narrowly on employment, and ignored the structural causes of poverty. As the current Poverty Reduction Strategy is coming to an end, an urgent reset is needed for the new one.

“The data shows Ontario’s approach to poverty reduction has failed,” said Alexi White, author and Director of Systems Change at Maytree. “We need a bold new plan grounded in human rights.”

Key findings are:

• Ontario’s child poverty rate doubled from 5.6% to 12% in three years – the worst among large provinces.

• Over 30 per cent of single working-age adults live in poverty.

• Equity-deserving groups, including people with disabilities and Indigenous communities, face disproportionately high rates.

Maytree calls for a new strategy that includes:

• Adopting a human rights-based approach that recognizes the right to an adequate standard of living.

• Strengthening income supports, including higher social assistance rates and expanded Ontario Child Benefit.

• Setting clear, measurable poverty reduction targets, as required by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Act.

Read the report: Poverty rising: How Ontario’s strategy failed and what must come next