The 2022 Municipal Elections are over and we now prepare to welcome returning and new government representatives. We seek to renew our efforts to address poverty related issues and we welcome a chance for new representatives to contribute to the work.
The issues remain the same as during the election debates! People of all economic levels want: a steady and sufficient income, a home that is safe and affordable; good health care and representatives in government that work together to improve our well-being.
These issues are reflected in our local collective action around housing, income solutions, gender, diversity & inclusion and health equity.
This is further supported in joint submissions from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to the Ontario government – An Integrated Approach to Mental Health and Addictions, More Homes for Everyone and We All Win – Diversity on Councils.
BASIC INCOME AND HOUSING
A guaranteed basic income means that everyone’s basic needs are met in a dignified and sustainable way. Jessie Golem’s Humans of Basic Income documents the impact of the Basic Income Pilot in Hamilton, Ontario.
Housing is more than just 4 walls, it is creating a home and foundation for people to thrive in. Bruce County has created an Affordable Housing 101 Toolkit which explains what is affordable housing, zoning policies and the housing needs in Bruce County and each municipality.
The Municipal Role in Housing report (Munk School, 2022) emphasizes the role of municipalities in setting zoning policies and approval processes that can help meet the need for housing in their regions and in facilitating the development of affordable rental housing. They identify the ideal role of municipalities in housing policy, where municipalities currently face constraints, how other orders of government can support municipalities, and where intergovernmental cooperation is needed.
Listen to the voices of the RentSafe Tenant Advisory Committee in My Voice is Power.
Who benefits from a Guaranteed Basic Income?
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Voting and understanding how local government works
It is important to understand the different levels of government and what they are responsible for when voting. Municipal 101 is a great resource on who is responsible for what at all 3 levels of government. How Local Government Works is informative.
Centering Anti-Racist and Equity Frameworks in Anti-Poverty Work
Community Voices promote Diversity and Inclusion of People on Low Income in municipal government. We All Live Here (infographic) speaks to the need for more diversity and inclusion in municipal decision-making.
Welcoming Communities Grey Bruce encourages citizens and candidates for municipal office to consider the importance of welcoming and supporting newcomers, immigrants and refugees to our area. Municipal councils can address these concerns by ensuring their local policies and programs do not discriminate against people with diverse backgrounds and can set the tone through welcoming and inclusive policy initiatives.
“We All Win – Diversity on Council” provides resources and tools on diversity and inclusion on municipal councils (Source: Association of Municipalities of Ontario, 2022).
Tamarack Institute’s Communities Ending Poverty (CEP) members hosted two conversations that explored how members were developing, implementing, and centering anti-racist and equity frameworks in their anti-poverty work.
electHERnow.ca Grey Bruce is a non-partisan volunteer group committed to gender balance in the municipal government. They have provided a breakdown of women municipal representatives for each municipality.
- In Grey Bruce, 27% of municipal positions were held by women prior to the 2022 municipal election. As of October 24, 2022, 29% of municipal positions in Grey Bruce are held by women, whereas 51% of the Grey Bruce region’s population are women. (Source: 2021 Census Release of Population/Gender and electHERnow.ca).
- At the County level, 38% of Bruce County Council positions are held by women and 28% of Grey County Council positions are held by women.
Municipal Election Statistics provides a running analysis of previous election results as well as the 2022 election results. For a list of elected council members and voter statistics click on each respective municipality link below:
Grey County
Bruce County