I just got off the phone with a representative from Doug Ford’s office. The representative I spoke with had no answers and left it at - I will call you tomorrow.

Affordable Housing has new limits, a base of $75,000! Yes! You can earn that and still qualify for affordable housing! I’m still wondering what there is for people who make less than $50,000. The wage of an essential worker.

After my experience with affordable housing, because that’s where I ended up three years ago because I couldn’t find a rental, I would rather rot on the side of the road then to experience that ever again in my life. It is not worth the self-sacrifice, nor the toleration of an abusive lifestyle from other tenants. I use the term abusive because when you take an average functioning person and place them within those confines, your life gets degraded. There is no quiet enjoyment, there is no enforcement of the landlord tenant act, the residential act, you are left in survival mode. Your life revolves around housing, you can’t turn your back on child neglect, you get exposed to violence almost daily, you are exposed to heavy drug use. It is completely unacceptable.

Again, if you are essential worker, putting in your 40 hours a week, working hard each and every day, you still don’t earn enough to put a roof over your head. It’s degrading being treated like your value has no worth. Food costs have gone up, utilities still need to be paid and we now live in a technological world so somehow you’re supposed to acquire the technology so that you can be a part of society. 

I don’t eat, so my children can. We don’t play sports because they can’t be afforded. Dental care can’t be afforded. Eye care can’t be afforded. I don’t own cellphone. I have literally cut every aspect out of our life and every dime we have goes towards rent.

There should be a base that everyone gets in life regardless of income. Shelter and food. When you do call trying to seek assistance or an avenue that you may take to get the ball rolling, you continually get told by representatives to apply for ODSP or OW, or so my experience has been thus far. Food banks are under funded and are being utilized by many families. You can go once a month.

We aren’t looking for a free ride. We do have pride. We want to be progressive. The government is preventing us from moving forward. You can’t normalize being homeless. You can’t be strong and healthy without food. We are not a two tiered system. 

So sadly yes, at this time, I am of the opinion that the government really doesn’t care about the blue-collar worker. At this time Doug Ford does not have my vote because I will be voting for the party that is inclusive to all walks of life. I will vote for the party that cares about the thousands of families and individuals who verge on being homeless based on inadequate wages and high housing costs.