Housing Facts

Here are some interesting housing-related facts put forward at the August 20 housing strategy meeting at the Keeler Centre.

Stable and secure housing provides a foundation for people to escape poverty. It reduces the need for government services. It attracts and keeps skilled workers.

The provincial and federal governments are combining to provide $1.2 billion which will be used to add 4,500 affordable housing units and repair 50,000 others in Ontario.

There are 3.2 million homeowners in Ontario and 1.3 million renters. Twenty percent of renters live in social housing. Abouot 6,000 Ontarians use shelters daily.

In Northumberland County there about 6.500 people living in poverty. The average rent in Cobourg is $875 plus utilities.

There are 284 households waiting for subsidized housing - almost all have family incomes under $20,000.

The Salvation Army Rent Bank assists 39 households.

The Northumberland Shelter for Women provided shelter for 131 women in 2007.

There were 13 teen mothers served by Alpha House in the same year.

Food 4 All warehouse distributed 263,604 pounds of food in 2007.

One in six children in Canada live in poverty.

In the area served by the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit there are 4,000 families with children who live iin poverty.

A minimum wage of $10 per hour is needed to meet basic needs.