VCC believes that efforts to reduce poverty must be collective, strategic, evidence-based, and focused on systems change. We advance policy through community-based research and collaboration with Enough for All Champions. Our thoughtful, balanced analysis of policy works to build the capacity of Enough for All Champions and equip them with the tools and insights needed to advocate for change. VCC’s policy work and research employs a systems lens that considers the lived experiences of those impacted and focuses on the root causes of poverty. Below we have a listing of our community-based research.
Research
Working to inform the development of public policy
Research and Publications
VCC has published research on a variety of topics. Expand the items below to learn about our work.
We know that poverty is about so much more than just income. We asked the community to look beneath the surface of the metrics, and to learn the story behind them in our Community Wellbeing Report (2023).
Vibrant Communities Calgary released Calgary Municipal Ward Poverty Profiles (2023), outlining the incidence of poverty with poverty-specific data related to Calgary’s 14 wards.
VCC published Poverty Snapshots from 2018-2022 to understand how people experience poverty in Calgary.
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 (2021) engaged with people with lived experience of poverty to understand from their perspectives, how COVID-19 is impacting their day-to-day lives.
The Risk and Depth of Poverty in Calgary: A Socio-Demographic Profile (2020) examines the characteristics of those at risk of living in income poverty with income just above the poverty line, as well as those in shallow and deep poverty.
The study How many housed Calgarians are at Risk of Homelessness? (2023) estimates approximately 115,000 housed Calgarians living in approximately 40,000 households are at extreme risk of losing their housing.
VCC in collaboration with the Social Policy Collaborative outlines three key policy recommendations in A path to recovery: Growing Alberta's affordable housing stock and recovery-oriented support systems (2022) to help the provincial government meet its commitment to Albertans in need of affordable housing.
In 2021 the Government of Alberta released Stronger Foundations: Alberta's 10-year strategy to improve and expand affordable housing, intending to outline the action needed to provide more affordable and accessible housing options for Albertans. Check out our analysis of the strategy What you need to know about Stronger Foundations: The Government of Alberta’s affordable housing strategy (2021).
Employment income that is sufficient to cover the cost of living is vital to reducing poverty and building a resilient city and economy. Since 2008, Vibrant Communities Calgary has been updating the living wage figure for Calgary.
Liveable Incomes: Improving the Effectiveness of Alberta's AISH Program (2023) outlines feasible solutions to issues related to eligibility, adequacy, means testing and accountability. The recommendations seek to improve the quality of life for Albertans living on low incomes with disabilities, and ensure they have the necessary income to meet their basic needs.
VCC's policy specialist Lee Stevens co-authored a study saying that Canada is closer than ever to a workable guaranteed basic income (GBI). In fact, A guaranteed basic income for Canadians: off the table or within reach (2022) says the cost may be less burdensome than many would think.
Getting it right: A critical look at Alberta's income support program (2021) discusses the way eligibility is determined, the inadequacy of benefits, and the ways benefits are reduced when recipients earn income from employment.
The Income Support Policy Brief (2020) highlights opportunities to improve the effectiveness of Alberta’s Income and Employment Support programs.
In order to better understand and develop recommendations to improve Calgary’s emergency food assistance program, Vibrant Communities Calgary published Examining Calgary’s Emergency Food Assistance System in March 2021 and a follow-up report slightly over a year later, The State of Calgary's Emergency Food Assistance System (2022).
Collaborating for change
The Calgary Social Policy Collaborative (SPC) is a group of community organizations committed to working together to inform the development and implementation of public policy that improves the economic and social well-being of Albertans.