The United Way is one step closer to taking over the implementation of London’s poverty panel recommendations, but it didn’t come without a spirited debate at city hall.
The community and protective services committee reviewed a staff report that recommended the agency receive $125,000 a year for three years to take action on the 112 recommendations aimed at reducing poverty in London.
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“It’s dollars that will be well spent,” said Mayor Matt Brown.
“When we consider that 68,000 people experience poverty in our community every single day, it’s less than $2 per individual.”
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During the meeting, Coun. Phil Squire expressed his opposition to the move.
“To have the poverty panel at this point in time passed off to another party when I think there’s still work for us to do as a council and at city hall is not the approach that I would have taken at this particular point in time,” said Squire.
“I’m not faulting anyone, this is just not the approach that I would have taken.”
Squire said funding could be better allocated for poverty initiatives, such as free transit for youth — a cause he has championed.
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Coun. Maureen Cassidy said bringing on the United Way would be a step in the right direction.
“I specifically and directly heard from people with lived experience in poverty, who through this process said, ‘I have hope, I have hope for the first time that something different is going to happen,'” she said.
The committee voted 4-2 in favour of the staff recommendation. The final decision will go to full council next week.