Financial Inclusion Inventory: Trusteeships

8.1 Overview and Summary

There are two main types of trusteeships: 1) The Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee for individuals deemed incapable of managing their finances and 2) Voluntary trusteeship programs assist individuals to manage their finances until they are ready to manage independently. The focus of this inventory will be on voluntary trusteeships. A brief definition of each program is described below.

The Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) is part of Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General and manages the financial affairs of people assessed as incapable who have no one else who is authorized to do so. (http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/pgt/). As a public guardian, the OPGT makes all the financial decisions and conducts transactions including receiving and depositing income, making investments, maintaining and selling property, applying for benefits, filing tax returns, paying bills and acting in legal proceedings.

Voluntary trusteeship programs are those in which an appointed guardian assumes responsibility for receiving income and paying expenses on behalf of an individual. Trusteeships have been used to assist individuals who experience homelessness as a means of building financial stability for program clients. Ideally, strategies are put in place to restore progressive degrees of individual control over his or her resources.

One voluntary trusteeship program exists in Waterloo Region at Cambridge Shelter Corporation. This program is intended to support people who are experiencing or have a history of homelessness.

8.2 Programs

8.2.1 Cambridge Shelter Corporation

Program

Blair Voluntary Trust Program

Since: 2005

# Served in  2017: 188

Funded: Within existing funding

Program Description

“Provides voluntary trusteeship to individuals in the Waterloo Region. In order to be approved for a subsidized unit at The Bridges, individuals must participate in the trusteeship program. The trustee receives each individual’s monthly income, pays the bills and set up a budget. The trustee then meets with each participant to discuss the budget and work out a payment plan for the money left over after expenses are paid. Each participant then comes in throughout the month at agreed upon times, to pick up his or her money.”

Seek to Serve

Low Wage Individuals

Lowest Income Individuals

Life Change/Financial Literacy/Housing Stability

Capacity to Serve

130-135

Eligibility

Live in Waterloo Region and have the ability to travel to the office and have a desire to learn money management skills.

Languages

English

Locations

Cambridge Shelter Corp.

26 Simcoe Street

Cambridge, ON  N1R 8P2

Contact Information

Melissa Boxwell

(519) 624-0999

melissa@cambridgesheltercorp.ca

Information Last Updated

December 2018

 

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