This month, you've likely seen messages everywhere about the importance of saving for your retirement.
But evidence shows that many low- and modest-income Canadians have few means to even start thinking about saving for retirement. In fact, financial insecurity is a growing trend in Canada — almost 50 per cent of households lack savings to live for three months above the poverty threshold.
In this issue, we're bringing you three policy-ready ideas on improving financial security for low- and modest-income families in Canada. We highlight one idea, the introduction of a Canada Saver’s Credit, in a bigger report. And our Maytree opinion discusses the need for a quality retirement plan for the non-profit sector.
In other news, I’m delighted to introduce the new Maytree fellows - four thought leaders working on various aspects of human rights and poverty whose work we hope will influence public policy and strengthen our thinking about human rights.
Bruce Porter, Director of the Social Rights Advocacy Centre, will be working on mapping social and economic rights in Canada; Emily Paradis, activist and researcher on issues of housing, will be examining mechanisms for rights-based participation and accountability of people with lived experience in policy processes on housing and homelessness; Michael Mendelson, former Senior Scholar at the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, will be continuing his longtime efforts on improving income security; and Alex Bezzina, former Deputy Minister of Children and Youth Services, will be exploring issues in criminal justice, including youth justice.
Also in this issue, we share the latest installment of our blog series on rights-based participation from Maytree fellow Emily Paradis, as well as information on upcoming events.
Thank you for your continued interest in our work.
Elizabeth McIsaac
President, Maytree
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Let's make retirement planning and saving a reality for non-profit sector workers
There is a solution for non-profit sector workers and their employers who want to ensure that their staff can plan for retirement: the Common Good retirement plan. Elizabeth McIsaac and Alan Broadbent call on non-profit leaders to join the growing coalition of organizations committed to offering the plan. Read the opinion
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Challenging exclusion: Experts with lived experience of homelessness transforming policy processes
Addressing the exclusion experienced by people facing homelessness requires policy processes that reflect the priorities, values, and rights of people with lived experience, writes Maytree fellow Emily Paradis. Read the article
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The Canada Saver’s Credit: A proposal to build financial security for lower- and modest-income Canadians
This report proposes a targeted policy intervention to help boost savings and build assets: the Canada Saver’s Credit. It would be a simple, flexible way to help lower- and modest-income Canadians increase their savings – to improve day-to-day financial security, make major purchases, and prepare for retirement. Read the report
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Three policy-ready ideas on financial security
Financial insecurity puts individuals and families at greater risk of poverty. This is why Maytree is working with Prosper Canada and Common Good to promote three policy-ready ideas on financial security that governments at all levels should consider. Read the ideas
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Five Good Ideas about making lived experience of poverty part of your non-profit’s DNA
In this session, representatives from the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) shared how they created space at all levels for the lived experience of their community members. Watch the session |
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March 28: Five Good Ideas about bridging the age and culture gap for the new workplace
Nation Cheong (United Way Greater Toronto) and Xavier Mclaughlin (CEE) will share their ideas on how to engage, include, and support young people so that they become authentic, strong, resilient, and accountable leaders for the future. Register online
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The end of working poverty: Strategies (webinar)
In this Tamarack Institute webinar, speakers highlighted strategies that each sector can undertake to help end working poverty. They explored topics like living wage, financial empowerment, and basic income as interlocking strategies that together can address the complexities of working poverty. Watch the webinar
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Food Banks Canada releases HungerCount 2018 report
The report provides a point in time snapshot of food bank use in Canada, as well as key demographics of the populations who use food banks across Canada. Read the report
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