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Government Programs
Feb. 10th, 2025 10:38 amI tried messaging the subsidized housing people, looking for an ETA or even where I am on the freaking LIST, a couple of days ago, and today they got back to me (to be fair I emailed on the weekend so they got back to me ASAP, really), and basically said they can't give me an ETA or tell me where I am on the list but HERE'S A COUPLE LINKS TO OTHER SUBSIDIZED HOUSING RESOURCES GOOD LUCK.
The housing crisis is SO bad all across Canada right now, but I know in Orillia particularly it's especially terrible. When you can't even rent a ROOM for less than $1000/month that's ridiculous. And programs like ODSP that are supposed to take care of the most vulnerable, just won't get with the times. I'm allotted $450/month toward rent and even living with Mom and Lee I'm paying more than that. $450/month won't even pay for a ROOM in Orillia anymore, what do they expect people to do?
And then people bitch about the homelessness "problem", like those people have ANY say in their situation when the GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS that are meant to assist them didn't give them enough for a roof over their head. It's all about building new highways and upgrading the old ones when the money should be going toward the PEOPLE. For those of us disabled, unable to work for various reasons, times aren't just tough, they're DESPERATE, and no one seems to understand that.
They build "affordable housing" that still costs $1500/month for a one-bedroom apartment and then look at us like "but look, we're building it, why are you still bitching?" BECAUSE IT'S BEING SNAPPED UP BY THE MIDDLE CLASS, AND IT'S NOT "AFFORDABLE" TO BEGIN WITH. BECAUSE WE LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE AND $1500/MONTH IS WAY MORE THAN WE CAN AFFORD. BECAUSE I AM ALLOTTED $450/MONTH FOR RENT AND ANY EXTRA COMES OUT OF MY BILLS AND MY FOOD AND MY MEDICATIONS. BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT "AFFORDABLE" ACTUALLY MEANS.
I am literally getting the same amount from ODSP NOW as I did TWENTY YEARS AGO when I first had to go on the program. And even at that time, it was tough, but you could get an apartment for $800/month utilities included and manage to scrape by. There were times I had to go to food banks, though, and to my parents for money when things got tough. Now with inflation everything costs 75% more than it used to, housing, food, medications, and still no one thinks they should be increasing the ODSP allowance accordingly.
I don't know what they expect us to do. Wear out our welcome with family, I guess. Die in the streets.
It's a fucking atrocity and there's nothing I can do about it.
The housing crisis is SO bad all across Canada right now, but I know in Orillia particularly it's especially terrible. When you can't even rent a ROOM for less than $1000/month that's ridiculous. And programs like ODSP that are supposed to take care of the most vulnerable, just won't get with the times. I'm allotted $450/month toward rent and even living with Mom and Lee I'm paying more than that. $450/month won't even pay for a ROOM in Orillia anymore, what do they expect people to do?
And then people bitch about the homelessness "problem", like those people have ANY say in their situation when the GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS that are meant to assist them didn't give them enough for a roof over their head. It's all about building new highways and upgrading the old ones when the money should be going toward the PEOPLE. For those of us disabled, unable to work for various reasons, times aren't just tough, they're DESPERATE, and no one seems to understand that.
They build "affordable housing" that still costs $1500/month for a one-bedroom apartment and then look at us like "but look, we're building it, why are you still bitching?" BECAUSE IT'S BEING SNAPPED UP BY THE MIDDLE CLASS, AND IT'S NOT "AFFORDABLE" TO BEGIN WITH. BECAUSE WE LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE AND $1500/MONTH IS WAY MORE THAN WE CAN AFFORD. BECAUSE I AM ALLOTTED $450/MONTH FOR RENT AND ANY EXTRA COMES OUT OF MY BILLS AND MY FOOD AND MY MEDICATIONS. BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT "AFFORDABLE" ACTUALLY MEANS.
I am literally getting the same amount from ODSP NOW as I did TWENTY YEARS AGO when I first had to go on the program. And even at that time, it was tough, but you could get an apartment for $800/month utilities included and manage to scrape by. There were times I had to go to food banks, though, and to my parents for money when things got tough. Now with inflation everything costs 75% more than it used to, housing, food, medications, and still no one thinks they should be increasing the ODSP allowance accordingly.
I don't know what they expect us to do. Wear out our welcome with family, I guess. Die in the streets.
It's a fucking atrocity and there's nothing I can do about it.
