The Caledon Institute will be releasing shortly the Welfare Incomes report.  Its calculations make clear that welfare incomes fall below all major comparator measures.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for welfare recipients to make ends meet.  Shelter allowances, in particular, have not kept pace with market rents.
Laurie is a Calgary resident who is on the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program in Alberta.  Her poignant story, which she sent to us, speaks powerfully to the need for affordable housing in Canada.  Several policy options are proposed to enhance the ability of renters to pay for housing and to increase the availability of affordable housing.