Addressing misconceptions with some new resources

VCC's Meaghon Reid and Hagir Sail discuss how poverty exists despite being hidden in certain areas of the city with the Calgary Journal

Poverty profile paints a clearer picture of Ward 8 incomes

Rise Calgary works to ensure everyone moves forward and that no one feels alone during their fight for a better quality of life. They want all Calgarians to      have tangible supports that move them from scarcity to strength. Their programs stabilize peoples’ immediate needs, then empower Calgarians to reach their own goals, all while trying to shift perspectives on poverty, and drive systemic change.

The Disability Action Hall is a group of people with disabilities and allies. Since 1998 they have been focused on telling stories, taking action and changing lives in five areas: disability pride and culture; relationships and networking; enough money to live, a home for all; and services that we need.

Southern Alberta Brain Injury Society (SABIS) is dedicated to helping adults with acquired brain injuries obtain the supports and services they need to live as independently as possible in the community. SABIS works alongside brain injury survivors and their supporters as they shift from surviving to thriving.

SABIS offers supports and services for clients living in Calgary and the surrounding region. They provide resources, make referrals, assist with applications, and engage in informal advocacy and emotional support. In addition to service coordination they offer support groups for both clients and caregivers, and deliver presentations to increase awareness and education of the effects of brain injuries on individuals and their support networks.

Southern Alberta Brain Injury Society (SABIS)

The Calgary Social Policy Collaborative (SPC) is a group of social service organizations who have collectively resourced policy advocacy. The SPC provides a non-partisan platform for the human services sector to bring a clear and collective voice to government to advance policy opportunities that address the most pressing challenges faced by vulnerable Albertans. The group is co-chaired by Vibrant Communities Calgary and The Alex. 

The Social Policy Community of Practice is open to all who work in the human services sector and provides a platform for organizations that do not have the capacity or resources to collaborate on advocacy issues but wish to share information on what is happening in the policy arena, to build capacity, and to provide recommendations and ideas to the SPC.

The Women’s Centre provides a safe and supportive space accessed by thousands of women in Calgary. We offer women opportunities to both receive and provide support, connect with others and build community through a variety of programs.

The Canadian Poverty Institute is an inter-disciplinary institute housed within Ambrose University that seeks to heal poverty through teaching, research and public education.

Basic Income Alberta is a member-driven organization connected with basic income advocates across the country. Grounded in research, scholarship, and economic understanding, we focus on advocacy, education and local mobilization.

Basic Income Calgary is an action group of the Basic Income Canada Network and an Enough for All stakeholder. Basic Income Calgary’s goals align with Enough for All, Calgary’s poverty reduction strategy, and the growing national movement for a basic income guarantee. We believe in and support the creation of a basic income guarantee program that would create a regular, predictable income, universally and unconditionally available to all who need it, and sufficient to provide for a decent life style and enable full participation in the community.

Adult Literacy and Foundational Learning 

In this episode, Jaclyn Silbernagel sits down with Lee Stevens, policy and research specialist with Vibrant Communities Calgary to explore basic income. What a basic income could mean for Canadians and how it could have a positive impact on our social support systems.

In this episode, Jaclyn Silbernagel sits down with Vibrant Communities Calgary and EndPovertyEdmonton’s Executive Directors to get their perspectives on poverty reduction and the future of Alberta.

Episode 6: No Battle of Alberta when it comes to Poverty Reduction

In this episode, Jaclyn Silbernagel catches up with Sue Gwynn from Poverty Talks! to chat about the importance of engaging with the voices of lived experience. Hear about why Poverty Talks! challenges perceptions around poverty, how models and systems keep people in poverty, and why poverty is a trap.

Poverty affects every aspect of your life, not only the ability to meet your basic needs — your health, relationships, how you’re impacted by climate change, even how safe you are while you walk through your neighbourhood. We do the poverty snapshot to understand how people experience poverty and what policy makers can do to help. 

PovertySnapshot2021_FINAL.pdf

The year 2020 marked the second year of phase two for Calgary’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, Enough for All. The COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest ‘story’ of 2020 and the impact of the pandemic on community efforts to reduce poverty cannot be understated. Limitations in support services due to closures and reduced capacity because of restrictions due to COVID-19 have likely increased the risk that people in need of support ‘fell though the cracks’. This year’s evaluation report is written within this context. This report shows progress and identifies gaps in the Goals, Levers of Change, Principles and the role of the Enough for All Champions and Vibrant Communities Calgary in advancing the Enough For All Strategy in the midst of a global pandemic.

Building Back Better- Enough For All Evaluation Report 2020.pdf

Building Back Better- Enough For ALL Evaluation Report 2020 - Executive Summary.pdf

Building Back Better: Enough For All Evaluation Report 2020

VCC has identified areas of opportunity for policy change within Calgary City Council and Administration. There are several roles that the local government can play in creating vibrant communities, including exemplary employer, service provider, investor, leader and champion, convener and partner. 

Vibrant Communities Calgary Policy recommendations for Calgary City Council.pdf

VCC's Policy recommendations for Calgary City Council

Vibrant Communities Calgary and the Canadian Poverty Institute have released a publication outlining the incidence of poverty with poverty-specific data related to Calgary’s 14 wards. 

This information can be used to stimulate debate and highlight poverty as a key election issue with local candidates.

The goal is for municipal candidates to use these profiles to inform their platforms and priority issues and consider how other orders of government and community organizations could address the various issues of poverty. In addition, voting Calgarians can use the information to form questions to ask candidates how they will support and advance poverty reduction if elected.

Both quantitative (numerical data) and qualitative (descriptive data) methods were used to create the profiles for each Ward. Calgarians participated in an online questionnaire designed to give insight into some of the top issues and concerns in each ward. Along with information on what is working well and what solutions are needed to address the various aspects of poverty in each ward.

Poverty is not always visible. Each of the 14 Wards in Calgary have things in common such as a strong sense of community and groups that help community members and residents. At the same time, these profiles are further evidence that poverty exists in each Ward, where people are struggling with access to affordable housing, mental health, transportation, childcare, access to appropriate cultural supports, and food security.

Poverty In Calgary - Calgary Municipal Ward Poverty Profiles.pdf

Calgary Municipal Ward Poverty Profiles 2021

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of low-income Calgarians as they cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research project engaged with people with lived experience of poverty to understand from their perspectives, how COVID-19 is impacting their day-to-day lives.

We asked participants to describe changes in their lives related to income, employment, service access and health and wellbeing specifically because of the pandemic. Some people reported positive changes including an increase in income from their pre-COVID wages to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, reduced spending on ‘luxury’ items, increased savings and establishment of their ‘true’ social support networks. However, the majority of people, reported serious and significant negatives changes in their lives related to loss of employment, loss of income, food insecurity and being many weeks or months behind in paying household bills.

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 Addressing structural barriers that are widening inequities and exacerbating vulnerability June 2021.pdf

In reviewing Enough for All’s progress in 2020, we acknowledge the collective efforts of the Enough for All Network to ensure people in our city who live in poverty were – and continue to be – supported. The 2020 Report to Community outlines some of the key accomplishments and initiatives in the year. 

As part of the report you can also view the audited financial statements for VCC Initiatives Ltd. for the year ended December 31, 2020.

VCC - ReportToCommunity-FINAL.pdf

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are clear, and few will rebut that in 2020, some were hit harder. Women in Alberta experienced disproportionate job losses, increases to unpaid care work, and greater exposure to the virus working in health care, elder-care, and childcare. Budget 2021 aimed to strike a balance by maintaining previous funding commitments, but it did not address the unequal impacts of the pandemic on women, people of color, or those working in low wage precarious jobs.

Vibrant Communities Calgary's response to the Alberta Budget 2021-Final-FINAL.pdf

Vibrant Communities Calgary’s response to the Alberta Budget 2021: The impact on vulnerable Albertans and Enough for All

2020 has been a tough year. While the data is not all in, this year has brought inequities to the surface, in our own city and worldwide. 

Among those harder hit include Calgarians who were experiencing poverty before COVID-19 began. Parents, especially mothers, are struggling to balance work and childcare, and many are leaving employment altogether. Racialized groups and people with lower incomes are less likely to be able to work from home and much more likely to contract COVID-19. Unpaid sick leave was always an issue of poverty, but today it is a matter of public health. 

The intersection of COVID-19, the recession, and increasing food prices has made the vulnerable more vulnerable. We don’t have all the information yet, but need to be prepared to support Calgarians facing unprecedented challenges. As such, we’ll share the most recent data we have on poverty in Calgary and what we know about this radical new context.

poverty-snapshot-in-calgary_2020.pdf

Vibrant Communities Calgary and EndPovertyEdmonton believe the Alberta government plays a pivotal role in ensuring public safety, wellbeing, and in creating the right environment for civil society to adequately do its job. While we realize these are extraordinary times, Alberta’s debt and increasing health care costs are long standing challenges. When the causes of health care and opportunities for savings are closely examined, the evidence points overwhelmingly to various issues related to poverty. We understand and respect the difficult choices your government has had to make during an extremely challenging year, and we believe this submission presents a path forward towards modernizing our policies for the Alberta of today, helping create a strong foundation for the future. 

priorities-for-alberta-budget_vcc-epe-joint-submission_2021.pdf

Albertans are facing elevated levels of unemployment, employment volatility, and income instability as we work to recover from the overlapping crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crash in oil prices that have shocked Alberta’s economy. This brief highlights opportunities to improve the effectiveness of Alberta’s Income and Employment Support programs. These programs will be essential to the province’s economic recovery as Albertans seek support to meet their essential needs and find new opportunities to become self-sufficient through employment.

SPC-Income-Support-Policy-Brief-2020.pdf

Social Policy Collaborative Income Support Policy Brief 2020

Leger was contracted by EndPovertyEdmonton in collaboration with Vibrant Communities Calgary to conduct an online survey with Albertans to assess awareness, behaviours, attitudes, lifestyles and socio-demographics in regards to ‘Basic Income’.

The results of this research will help EndPovertyEdmonton and Vibrant Communities Calgary with future communications.

Leger-Basic-Income-Perception-Survey-with-Albertans-FINAL.pdf

Basic Income Perception Survey with Albertans

The year 2019 marked the beginning of phase two for Calgary’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. The refreshed strategy Enough for All 2.0: Leveraging Our Communities’ Leadership to Tackle Poverty in Calgary (E4A 2.0) was developed after several months of community consultation and is informed by the evaluative learnings from phase one, the first four years of the strategy (2015-2018). This evaluation report shows progress and identifies gaps in the Goals, Levers of Change, Principles and the role of the Champions and Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) in advancing the strategy. 

The short and long-term influences of the provincial deficit, Alberta’s economic downturn and the COVID-19 pandemic are yet to be determined. It is likely that demand for resources will increase at a time when funding for social programs is at risk. We may also see a ‘new level of vulnerability’ and poverty as Calgarians who were managing before the pandemic now deal with reduced income from unemployment and mounting debt related to deferred mortgage and/or utility payments and/or use of credit to obtain emergency supplies. 

evaluation-report_2019.pdf

Normally working part-time would mean that applying for CERB was a viable option. Even if you do qualify, income support is clawed back. Feelings of depression have increased because of uncertainty created by COVID.

What-were-hearing-Income-Support.pdf

Refreshed poverty reduction strategy for 2019–2023

Over the past five years, there have been significant changes in the social and economic landscape in our community. For example, citizens have experienced the effects of a significant fall in the price of oil, an increase in unemployment rates, and a persistent downturn in the economy. At the same time, progress has been made by community organizations, as well as all levels of government introducing of the Alberta Child Benefit, the increasing and indexing of income support programs to the cost of living, six new community hubs, and a national poverty reduction strategy to name a few. Yet, poverty is the day-to- day reality of more than 120,000 Calgarians.

EnoughforAll2.0.pdf

E4A-2-0-Summary.pdf

Convene stakeholders and provide a platform for collaboration

Leverage advocacy through shared communication 

E4A-Advocacy-Stakeholder-Map.pdf

Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) has been advocating for policies to reduce poverty for over a decade, and from our perspective Budget 2019 raises concerns in our collective desire to reduce poverty in Calgary. Although we understand and respect the difficult choices our government has had to make as they work to balance the budget, our role as a backbone organization of Enough for All, Calgary’s poverty reduction strategy, commits us to share our concerns, and deepen awareness. 

vcc-response-to-alberta-budget_2019.pdf

VCC's Response to the Alberta Budget 2019

As we reflect on 2019, we, as a community, made incredible strides in making aspects of what contributes to poverty in Calgary, now, only part of our history. We worked with individuals, community groups and leaders to increase local capacity work to develop concrete poverty reduction initiatives. Diligent work happened broadly across our levers of change, as we saw changes in policies, regulations, investments, structures, and practices, as well as developments in programs, services, and supports that help Calgarians ‘beat the odds.’ Together, we expanded public awareness and support to address various causes of poverty. 

Our story this year was full of new chapters. In March 2019, the Enough for All Strategy refresh was launched. Enough for All 2.0: Leveraging our Communities’ Leadership to Tackle Poverty in Calgary was the culmination of countless hours of consultations from all sectors in our community. It was an affirmation that this strategy has worked, and a confirmation that there is still a lot of work to do. 

report-to-community_2019.pdf

The 2019 Alberta budget will impact Calgary’s efforts to achieve the goals within the Enough for All strategy. The budget’s primary focus is on jobs and the economy with a plan to reduce spending by 2.8% over the next four years. VCC has identified which areas of the budget will impact the goals of Enough for All. 

provincial-budget-e4a-fact-sheet_2019.pdf

Alberta Provincial Budget 2019: E4A Fact Sheet

Due to some significant and largely positive changes in social policy, and a refreshed Enough for All strategy, VCC has decided to release a Poverty Snapshot for 2019. 

The purpose of this snapshot is to provide Enough for All stakeholders with low-income statistics that can be utilized in their current and future efforts, and more generally to make Statistics Canada and other income data more accessible. 

a-snapshot-of-poverty-in-calgary_2019.pdf

The child benefit is a preventative policy that keeps struggling families with children out of poverty. The pathway to resilience begins in childhood: fewer children living in poverty now, leads to more independent adults in the future. 

improving-the-effectiveness-of-income-supports_social-policy-collaborative.pdf

Social Policy Collaborative Policy Brief: Improving the Effectiveness of Income Supports

2018 was the fourth and final evaluation year of the Enough for All (E4A) strategy utilizing a Collective Impact, approach with Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) as the backbone. Given this, this evaluation report highlights how the E4A goals progressed to reduce poverty in Calgary, as well as challenges and considerations that emerged over four years of implementing E4A. 

evaluation-report_2018.pdf

Members of the SPC identified a need for greater research capacity in the social services sector. To that end, 11 organizations pooled resources to financially support the work of social policy researchers at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.

The second of two reports supported through this research partnership, An Alberta Guaranteed Basic Income: Issues and Options proposes a self-financing Alberta Guaranteed Basic Income (AGBI) made possible through modest changes to the tax system. This brief provides an overview of the context within which basic income discussions are unfolding, both locally and internationally; summarizes the key elements of the AGBI proposal; and offers an analysis through the lens of the SPC’s objective of informing the development and implementation of policies that improve economic and social well-being of Albertans.

SPC-Response-to-An-Alberta-Guarantee-Basic-Income-Issues-and-options-05_2019.pdf

An Alberta Guaranteed Basic Income: Issues and Options  - Response from the Calgary Social Policy Collaborative

Members of the SPC identified a need for greater research capacity in the social services sector to identify and develop evidence-based policy recommendations that address the needs of our community. To that end, eleven organizations pooled resources to financially support the work of social policy researchers at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.

The first of two reports, Measuring and Responding to Income Poverty: Concepts and Possibilities, adds clarity to our understanding of the prevalence of poverty in Alberta, the shortcomings of our Income Support system, as well as an interesting proposal to address housing affordability challenges for people accessing social assistance. This brief addresses the key recommendations of the report.

SPC-Response-to-Measuring-and-Responding-to-Income-Poverty-Concepts-and-Possibilities.pdf

Measuring and Responding to Income Poverty: Response from the Calgary Social Policy Collaborative

Arguably the most significant recommendation that was implemented was the introduction of a provincial child benefit. In 2015, the Government of Alberta introduced the Alberta Child Benefit. The benefit resulted in $175 million going to 127,345 families with household incomes of less than $41,200. Combined with the Government of Canada’s changes to the national child benefit, the level of child poverty in Alberta was reduced by 50 percent. 

albertas-progress-in-poverty-reduction_2019.pdf

2018 marks the halfway point in the strategy. We have much to be thankful for, including child poverty in our province has been reduced by 50 per cent, the Government of Alberta increased and indexed our income support programs, the Government of Canada released Opportunity for All, a national strategy to reduce poverty, our province released a provincial housing strategy, 10,000 were housed through the housing first approach, 81,000 were approved in Calgary’s Fair Entry program so that they could more easily access subsidies for city services and more than 40,000 made use of the sliding scale transit pass. Together under the Enough for All banner, we are making a difference in our community.

report-to-community_2018.pdf

2017 was the third year of implementation of the Enough For All (E4A) strategy, utilizing a collective impact approach with Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) as the backbone. In its third year of implementation, E4A is clearly becoming both a network and an anchor that weaves and grounds all poverty reduction preventions and interventions in Calgary. In 2017 there were clear and measurable changes that demonstrated progress and alignment within each of the four goals of the E4A strategy. Collaboratives and stakeholders within E4A, to varying degrees, are orienting their development, planning and outcomes to one or more of the E4A goals. This focus and tightening of alignment is being integrated throughout all of the work and is a significant indictor of the shifting and strengthening landscape of the E4A collective impact. Overall, the numbers of people living with low incomes in Calgary has not changed dramatically and remains steady in spite of significant limiting factors of increases in population and unemployment and strenuous economic conditions in Alberta. The E4A strategy, as both net and anchor, has been pivotal in preventing more people moving into poverty and low income in Calgary. Social change requires everyday commitments coupled with dedication to the long-term investment to create positive change within the complex issue of poverty. This evaluation illustrates the early changes that are being achieved as a result of the E4A strategy alongside recommendations to increasingly strengthen the strategy and its collective impact approach. 

evaluation-report_2017.pdf

Income inequality provides a lens through which we can better understand the depth of poverty in Calgary and Alberta, particularly as it highlights the startling contrast between those who fall at the highest and lowest deciles. Understanding the ways in which income inequality manifests requires a complex and multifaceted approach, as it is the product of an evolving interplay of economic forces, public policy and income dynamics over several decades (Green, et al. 2016).

why-income-inequality-is-harmful-to-communities_2018.pdf

Why Income Inequality is Harmful to Communities

More than ever before, those receiving Alberta Works and Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) payments are at higher risk of living in poverty than that of the rest of the population. Inadequacies in the current provincial income support programs entrench more people reliant on those income support programs below the poverty line.

albertas-income-supports-are-keeping-people-poor_2018.pdf

Alberta's Income Supports are Keeping People Poor

Poverty is different than low income. Enough for All defines poverty as the condition of a human being who is deprived of the resources, means, choices and power to acquire and maintain self sufficiency while being able to be an active participant in society. Low Income 

is based exclusively on one indicator; income. This report focuses primarily on the incidence of low income and the ways in which low income may be manifested or developed (e.g., under employment or unemployment). Adding to the complexity, there are three different measures of low income used in Canada; Market Basket Measure, Low Income Cut-Off and Low Income Measure. For the purpose of this report, we have included the definition of the second and third measurements.

poverty-in-calgary-snapshot_2018.pdf

2017 was the third year of implementing Enough for All. Given the complexity of the underlying causes of poverty – including income, mental health, education, racism and marginalization – a foundation of the strategy is that all sectors need to work differently. As a community, it requires that we balance our organizational goals with the needs of our fellow Calgarians who live in chronic scarcity. No one sector or organization can reduce the prevalence of poverty in our community. Greater collaboration is required. 

The past year saw greater signs of progress on this front. The Financial Empowerment Collaborative coordinated the filing of 8,000+ tax filings, resulting in $3.7 million in refunds. The Social Policy Collaborative launched a shared policy pilot in which 11 organizations contributed funds to the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy to provide evidence-based research on both basic income and the changing face of poverty in Alberta. The research will provide a foundation for advocacy moving forward. The Community Hubs Collaborative created a toolkit – a resource that any group can use to improve access to services in their community. The City of Calgary launched the sliding scale transit pass, which over 40,000 accessed in the first few months of its implementation alone. The City’s Fair Entry program continued to remove barriers to its services. The Community Housing Affordability Collective has been fully active in promoting the development and improved accessibility of affordable housing. The Indigenous Advisory Committee held two community sessions to deepen the community’s understanding and help advance the response by organizations and individuals to the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Report. 

report-to-community_2017.pdf

On September 6, 2017 - Vibrant Communities Calgary and Basic Income Calgary  hosted a Community Conversation about basic income through the lens of food insecurity.

Keynote speaker Dr. Lynn McIntyre discusses a series of policy studies that support a basic income guarantee as a promising solution to food insecurity in Canada. The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion with Dr. McIntyre, James McAra, CEO of the Calgary Food Bank and co-chair of the Enough for All Food Dignity Constellation, Mary Salvani, a member of Disability Action Hall and a long-time community advocate, as well as Carole Carpot- Lacassagne from the Women’s Centre.

Basic Income Through the Lens of Food Insecurity

Our goal at Vibrant Communities Calgary is to achieve a sustained reduction in the number of Calgarians living in poverty. We do this by bringing all members of the community together to address the root causes that contribute to poverty. 

By providing leadership, fostering collaboration and championing social justice and pragmatic action, the 2018 Implementation Plan seeks to inspire real progress toward the goal of cutting poverty in Calgary in half by 2023 — so Calgarians’ basic needs are met and all have the opportunity to participate fully in their communities. 

implementation_plan_2018.pdf

implemenation-plan-summary_2018.pdf

The year 2016 marks the second year of implementation of the Enough for All strategy (E4A) within a collective impact approach, and of Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) being the backbone organization to the strategy. This evaluation illustrates the abundance of poverty reduction efforts and activities, and the breadth and depth of poverty reduction work in Calgary. What truly makes E4A different is its collective impact approach: the alignment and leveraging of highly coordinated areas of differentiated work towards common goals. Currently there are clusters of highly coordinated work happening in Calgary, yet much of the work is disconnected. This result is not uncharacteristic in the early formation of a collective impact initiative and will require continued investment in relationships, continuous learning and strategic funding to further embed the E4A strategy within collective impact. 

evaluation-report_2016.pdf

evaluation-response_2016.pdf

In 2016, Vibrant Communities Calgary completed the second year of guiding the implementation of
 the Enough for All (E4A) poverty reduction strategy. It was a difficult year for many Calgarians who lost their jobs as the city’s unemployment rate climbed to 10.3%. Many struggled to not fall into poverty. The increase in those accessing the food bank, increase in personal bankruptcies and crimes are proxies for the increase in economic precariousness in our city. 

In this unsettled environment, we applaud and cannot underestimate the positive impact of the Alberta Child Benefit and the enhanced Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit. Low income families who filed their taxes accessed hundreds of millions of tax-free dollars to assist them in raising their families. Revisions to both provincial and municipal legislation has helped regulate the pay-day lending sector. Coupled with new credit services of First Calgary Financial’s Cash Crunch Loans, and both ATB Financial’s and Cashco Financial’s access to mainstream banking services has made a difference for unbanked and underbanked Calgarians. City Council approved the new sliding scale transit pass through which Calgarians with the lowest incomes have access to a monthly pass for less than the price of two tickets. And, Calgarians continue to utilize improved access to City services through the Fair Entry program. 

report-to-community_2016.pdf

In the spring of 2015, the Enough for All (E4A) Impact and Evaluation Steering Committee was formed with the mandate to support the development and delivery of an annual community report on the progress of the aspirational goals of E4A, and Vibrant Communities Calgary’s value as the backbone organization. Committee members were actively involved in the recruitment and selection of external evaluators responsible for developing a framework for evaluating the collective impact of E4A, as well as assessing the effectiveness of Vibrant Communities Calgary as a backbone organization. Our committee is made up of a cross-section of community volunteers and representatives from various organizations with an interest in ensuring the success of the E4A strategy. 

evaluation-report_2015.pdf

Calgarians came together and developed Enough for All, Calgary’s community-driven poverty reduction strategy, and 2015 marked the first full year of its implementation. Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) was given the opportunity to guide its implementation, and with courage and determination the community has put its collective shoulder into realizing the strategy. 

Much has happened as a result of the first full year of implementation. Creative Theory, the external evaluators of the implementation of the strategy reported the first year’s progress (which you will read about in this report). The United Way, the City of Calgary, Bow Valley College, the Government of Alberta and Momentum made the Financial Empowerment Collaborative a reality. The YWCA realigned its strategic plan with Enough for All. The Government of Alberta launched the Child Benefit which will supported tens of thousands of Calgary families. The City of Calgary launched its Fair Entry program making it easier for low-income Calgarians to access city services. The Aboriginal Advisory Committee continued to advance the strategy by focusing on the unique issues facing Calgary’s Indigenous community members. 

report-to-community_2015.pdf

The development of this implementation plan marks another milestone in the realization of a Calgary in which our great grandchildren will visit the museum to learn about poverty. The plan builds on the Enough for All strategy approved in May 2013 and benefits from the community consultation and initial project development work carried out during 2013 and 2014.

implementation-plan_2015.pdf

implementation-plan-summary_2015.pdf

Poverty Costs 2.5 is an updated version of the original Poverty Costs 2.0 (2013) report. Action to End Poverty in Alberta and Vibrant Communities Calgary have chosen to update the June 2013 report with the most recent statistics and data using the Low Income Measure After-tax (LIM- AT). Many policy recommendations have also been refined to reflect new data and current provincial realities. Our organizations recognize that LIM-AT is a more accurate poverty line measure, going forward, for a number of reasons. LIM-AT is an internationally used and recognized poverty line that allows for comparative analysis of progress. It is increasingly being used as the de-facto poverty line in Canada.

poverty-costs-2-5_2015.pdf

Poverty Costs 2.5: Investing in Albertans - Revised Edition

Community Voices compels us to listen to the views and experiences of people who have been homeless and who have accessed human and social services in Calgary. The purpose of the Community Voices study was to stimulate collaborative participation with people experiencing homelessness in an effort to collectively influence program and policy evaluation and development. The study had three major objectives: 

To engage the experience and participation of persons previously or currently experiencing homelessness in gathering and sharing feedback into existing programs and services, and into policies at the municipal, provincial and/or federal levels; 

To heighten public visibility of issues surrounding homelessness, by sharing the stories and experiences of those affected and those who serve them; and 

To expand, coordinate and deepen research capabilities of all participants. 

The Community Voices project, which began in 2011, was spearheaded by Homeless Awareness Calgary (now dissolved) in collaboration with researchers and students at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary and community experts. Community Voices is a Participatory Action Research project which is defined by a collaboration of equal partnership between researchers and community experts. Co-researchers jointly agree on the goals and purpose of the research, collaborate to determine the nature of data collection and analysis, as well as synthesize results cooperatively. 

community-voices.pdf

Poverty Costs 2.0: Investing in Albertans is a follow-up report to the work presented in Poverty Costs: An Economic Case for a Preventative Poverty Reduction Strategy in Alberta (2012). Indeed the final chapter of the first Poverty Costs report outlines in a broad way, the kinds of policy driven components a comprehensive strategy to reduce poverty in Alberta would require. Sherri Torjman, an eminent social policy expert, has identified 10 “poverty policy” areas where provincial/territorial governments can create or improve upon existing policies and legislation with a view to preventing and reducing poverty.

poverty-costs-2-0_2013.pdf

Poverty Costs 2.0: Investing in Albertans

Calgary is a prosperous city with a strong economy, the highest average income and lowest unemployment rate in the country. Yet, in the midst of this prosperity poverty remains a reality. In 2010, there were 114,000 Calgarians living below the poverty line.1 Many more struggle just above the poverty line. A lack of savings and high levels of debt affect many families, and a significant number worry about not having enough money for housing and even for food.

Enough-for-All-Strategy.pdf

An economic case for a preventative poverty strategy in Alberta. Some argue that reducing the number of people living in poverty is a
 moral imperative, and that we should therefore accelerate our efforts to address it. Others argue that our assistance programs are more than generous already. Maintaining the status quo is certainly an option – we could choose to declare that the programs and policies we have in place now are the most we are willing to do. If this is the case, it begs the question: What is the financial cost of this decision to our provincial government, to taxpayers, and to those living in poverty? How much does it cost to perpetuate poverty in Alberta?

poverty-costs_2012.pdf

Monthly extra money required for an average family's food

Households in need of afforadable housing

2020 Evaluation Report highlights progress in poverty reduction

Building Back Better – Enough for All in action

Highlighting the experiences of poverty in all 14 wards of Calgary

Calgarians on other forms of social assistance make less than 70% of the poverty line

Calgary’s rate of poverty has risen and fallen over the years, with no clear upward or downward trend since 2006

Research showed more cases of COVID-19 among low-income Canadians

Evaluating our collective progress towards achieving Enough for All in 2020

food hampers distributed by the Calgary Food Bank in 2019

of the Calgary Food Bank’s clients had employment income

Albertans were food insecure between 2017 and 2018. That’s 12% of Alberta’s population

Reflecting on Basic Income Through the Lens of Poverty Reduction

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