Large coalition of Hamilton community groups to outline COVID #justrecovery plan

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Published January 12, 2021 at 11:38 am

A coalition of community organizations have come together to make recommendations to the City of Hamilton ahead of its budget deliberations.

The announcement was made Tuesday (Jan. 12) by a group of advocates with expertise on a wide range of issues such as climate change, disability justice, housing rights, and anti-racism.

Participating organizations will hold a virtual news conference at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, to release what’s being called the #JustRecoveryHamOnt policy paper.

The report will provide a list of recommendations “to foster a fair recovery for all Hamiltonians as the City continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“The policy paper is part of a larger campaign to start conversations and collaborations among community organizations, businesses, and residents in Hamilton,” wrote Kojo Damptey, Executive Director for the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, in an official media release.

“As the case counts of COVID-19 increase in the Hamilton area and the City of Hamilton ponders its 2021 budget, the City must start adopting just recovery principles that respond to the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized — while at the same time allowing Hamilton to be resilient past 2021 during this and future pandemics. “

The recommendations in the #JustRecoveryHamOnt policy paper will focus on the following principles:

  • Investing in Women
  • Mobility Justice
  • Disability Justice
  • Housing as a Human Right
  • Tackling Systemic Racism
  • Investing in decent jobs, decent wages and our local economy
  • Focus on Inclusive City Building
  • Investing in Green Infrastructure
  • Supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ Communities

The coalition consists of:

  • ACORN Hamilton
  • Disability Justice Network of Ontario
  • Environment Hamilton
  • Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion
  • Hamilton Community Benefits Network
  • Hamilton Community Legal Clinic
  • Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction
  • Sexual Assault Centre for Hamilton and Area
  • Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton
  • Speqtrum
  • YWCA Hamilton
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