Latest news with #Hajer
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Reverse changes to two-tier Rent Assist: prof who helped design program
One of the designers of Manitoba's Rent Assist program a decade ago says changes made under the former Tories need to be reversed in order for the NDP government's homelessness strategy to work. The program was set up by then-NDP premier Greg Selinger in 2014 to support people transitioning from 'welfare to work,' while also increasing benefits for those who rely on government supports for their income, said University of Manitoba economics and labour studies associate professor Jesse Hajer. In the years since, changes to the program have seen benefits clawed back, which has made it more difficult for low-income Manitobans to make ends meet, Hajer said. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES University of Manitoba economics and labour studies associate professor Jesse Hajer says changes made to Manitoba's Rent Assist program under the former Tories need to be reversed in order for the NDP government's homelessness strategy to work. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES University of Manitoba economics and labour studies associate professor Jesse Hajer says changes made to Manitoba's Rent Assist program under the former Tories need to be reversed in order for the NDP government's homelessness strategy to work. In a report released Thursday for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Hajer, who was on the planning and priorities committee of cabinet while Selinger was in power, noted the Rent Assist shortcomings will make it difficult for the NDP to meet its goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2031. The report calls on the province to reverse changes to Rent Assist made by the previous Progressive Conservative government that discriminated 'between the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor, by introducing higher benefits for those not' on social assistance. 2015 $806 2016 $852 2017 $877 2018 $912 2019 $947 2020 $982 2021 $1,000 2022 $1,030 2023 $1,080 2024 $1,149 — source: CMHC Rental Market Survey 'Rent Assist is an important benefit with a wide reach in Manitoba,' Hajer said in an interview. 'Low-income Manitobans have been hurt the most by high inflation in recent years, including rapidly increasing rents.' Manitoba's Your Way Home strategy, unveiled in January, relies on moving people from encampments into social housing, while moving those in social housing into the private market. If those being moved out of social housing cannot afford private market rent, the strategy risks housing some while creating homelessness for others, the report says. When Brian Pallister's Tories came into power after the 2016 election, they increased the proportion of net income that people were expected to pay towards rent to 30 per cent from 25 per cent. A few years later, after calls for a Rent Assist increase, the province increased the percentage of median market rent to which Rent Assist was indexed to 77 per cent for those on social assistance and 80 per cent for low-income workers, essentially creating a two-tier program. Hajer said reversing those cuts and returning to a model where maximum benefits are the same for all eligible Rent Assist recipients would help a large amount of people quickly. In Winnipeg, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment has increased 35 per cent over the last decade, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Rental Market Survey shows. 'Until a massive amount of new social housing is built,' programs like Rent Assist are needed to keep the housing affordability crisis from getting worse, Hajer said. PC housing, homelessness and addictions critic Carrie Hiebert defended the stance of providing higher benefits to Manitobans not on social assistance. 'We are encouraging independence, resilience and empowerment,' Hiebert said in a statement. 'Our goal should always be to encourage a path forward for our families, friends and loved ones to make sure meaningful employment and secure housing are within their reach.' Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith was not available for an interview, but a prepared statement provided Friday said: 'Our government is investing in social housing, supporting renters, and ensuring Manitobans have safe, affordable, and dignified homes.' The statement noted the PCs cut Rent Assist while this year's provincial budget increased the program by $27.8 million. Hajer's report said in 2019, under the PCs, Rent Assist cash benefits to Manitoba's low-income renters increased to $140 million from $100 million, when the program was fully implemented by the NDP in 2016. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. The government said Friday that it has restored the renter's tax credit cut and blamed the PCs for selling off social housing units. (The Tories sold 387 units to for-profit companies, including 374 units at 185 Smith St. for $16.2 million and 13 units at 356 Assiniboine Ave. for $1.45 million). 'Expanding the supply of non-market housing needs to be the priority,' said Right to Housing Coalition member and University of Winnipeg chair of urban and inner-city studies Prof. Shauna MacKinnon. 'Rent assist should not be the default and it should not be expanded in the absence of strong rent regulations,' said MacKinnon. 'It is too easy for landlords to increase rates to Rent Assist levels, which we know is happening and especially problematic for the lowest income renters who end up paying ridiculous rents for substandard housing.' Rent assist report Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Leaders
07-06-2025
- Leaders
How to Safely Carry Zamzam Water to your Country after Hajj?
Located within the boundaries of Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, the well of Zamzam is believed in Islam to have the purest water in the world. If you would like to bring Zamzam water from Saudi Arabia back to your country after completing the Hajj rituals, Leaders MENA offers you a comprehensive guide to smoothly carry water through airports. What is Zamzam Water? Discovered by Hajer, the second wife of Prophet Ibrahim, and her infant son, Prophet Ismail, the well of Zamzam is considered as a living miracle that has provided pilgrims with a continuous water supply for over 4000 years. According to the Islamic history, Hajer was looking for water to quench the thirst of her son. Therefore, she ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa. By the end of her seventh round, water miraculously sprouted from underground and kept flowing until Hajer said 'Zam Zam' which means stop flowing. Hence, drinking this miraculous water became recommended in Islam as Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, encouraged Muslims not to miss drinking Zamzam water during Hajj and Umrah. 2025 Hajj Procedures As per Saudi Arabia's guidelines in 2025, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced a set of official procedures to ensure both convenience and compliance, according to Gulf News. Here are the rules of the ministry: Pilgrims must buy Zamzam water from authorized sales points located within the airport terminals. For more secured handling, pilgrims should place each bottle on specially designated conveyor belts. To abide by aviation safety standards, pilgrims should not pack Zamzam water in checked luggage. Each pilgrim can carry only one bottle. Pilgrims must present a valid Umrah visa, or a permit issued via the Nusuk app to complete the purchase and transportation process. Related Topics: Saudi Arabia Unveils New App Showing Hajj Permits Digitally Seven Etiquettes: How to Drink Zamzam Water? Haramain Railway Boosts Hajj 2025 Capacity by 25% Short link : Post Views: 9
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitobans drowning in taxes, PCs say
Manitoba retirees and small businesses are getting 'pinched' by bigger property tax bills after the NDP government vowed most Manitobans would pay less, the Tories say. Examples of seniors on fixed incomes and businesses taking a hit were tabled by the Progressive Conservatives in the legislature this week. A pensioner, 79, who's lived in the same house for 53 years with his wife, saw their property tax bill increase by 54 per cent to $1,359 from $880, while their pension benefits increased by three per cent. 'We have paid all our taxes and been good citizens over our lifetimes,' the senior, whose name was redacted, wrote in an email Tuesday to Premier Wab Kinew, PC Leader Obby Khan and others. 'Is it too much to ask that we be able to remain in the familiar surroundings of our homes? … It is much less costly to the government than trying to fit us all into personal care homes.' The property tax bill of a business shared by the PCs showed a $4,650 increase to the education portion, totalling $13,250 this year compared to $8,600 last year. 'We've heard from dozens of small businesses that also experienced the pinch under this NDP government,' Khan told reporters. 'We are talking about real Manitobans.' The NDP introduced a $1,500 Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit this year, replacing a 50 per cent residential and 10 per cent commercial property tax rebate in 2024. 'This new policy, where everyone gets the same rebate, is much fairer and increases benefits for low- and middle-income homeowners who most need the help,' said University of Manitoba economics associate Prof. Jesse Hajer. The professor said the old system was a poor use of public funds as it gave the largest rebates to 'some of the wealthiest Manitoba residents and corporations.' He pointed to research by the Parliamentary Budget Office that showed higher-income earners are better off despite recent high inflation because their incomes have increased more than enough to compensate. Lower- and middle-class households, it said, are worse off. Many seniors on a fixed income in higher-value homes have made significant gains in their net worth with rising house prices, Hajer said. Lower-income seniors receive an additional income-tested tax credit on top of the $1,500 homeowners tax credit, he noted. 'The reality is that we need tax revenue to pay for schools, hospitals, roads and other public services. Taxing high-value homes is a reasonable way to get it,' Hajer said. Small business owners are feeling the loss of last year's 50 per cent residential and 10 per cent commercial education tax rebate in addition to increases in property assessments and school division mill rates, said a spokeswoman for the Canadian Federation for Independent Business. 'In last year's budget, the province replaced these rebates with a flat $1,500 property tax credit for residential properties, leaving commercial properties with no support,' Brianna Solberg said. Nearly 45 per cent of CFIB members surveyed last year approved of the change, compared to 38 per cent who opposed it — likely because of immediate relief they expected to receive on their residential tax bills, Solberg said. When the bills arrived, there was no relief thanks to higher property assessments and school taxes. 'Without any relief on their commercial tax bills, many business owners are now questioning whether anyone is better off under this new tax-credit system,' she said. Finance Minister Adrien Sala said the province has taken steps to help small businesses, including a payroll tax cut, a $10 million security rebate program, reducing personal income taxes, and income tax bracket changes 'that are saving Manitobans money all across the board.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Kinew said the homeowners tax credit 'really, really helps the people who need the most help,' including those who own smaller homes and people in rural communities. 'A lot of those folks aren't going to be paying any education taxes at all.' It's a course correction from the 'radical changes' introduced in 2022 when the PCs slashed provincial property taxes, said Molly McCracken with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 'The cuts were regressive as wealthier homeowners saved more on their taxes, creating a deficit of revenue for the province,' she said. 'Property taxes are a reliable and needed source of funding for the public services we all rely upon. 'The Manitoba government has taken steps to make these taxes more progressive.' Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
